Bombshell Betty v3.0: Part 1, The Evolution of a Flatfender

Betty is a testament to the ability of a light, nimble trail buggy.
Her builder plans on retaining this these important qualities
 in the next rendition.

You can learn a great deal about a builder by taking a good look at what he is driving. For most, their own rig is always a testbed. Its a vehicle to push the envelope of your ability and knowledge to gain the experience of doing what you've never done before. For Tyler Garret of Rock Solid Fabrication, that rig has always been Bombshell Betty, his 1946 Willys Flatfender. Just like an employee on the payroll, Betty has evolved and grown with the business and her builders skill. Powered by a 4.3 v6 turning two stoutly built dana 44 axles held on the ground by 4 ORI struts, Betty is rarely denied most places she goes. However as her builder's skill improved the next evolution was hurtling closer. Once the right stack of parts was assembled it was time to bring her in for deconstruction.

Wheeled once and not even washed. Betty came into the shop for a complete deconstruction. Every piece of drivetrain, suspension, and axles were to be removed. Since major chassis modifications were to be made to accommodate the new drivetrain the modified yj frame that forms the lower belly of the chassis was to be completely removed as well.

 Out came the venerable throttle-body injected 4.3. This motor has rested in this jeep as long as I have known Tyler and it has never had an issue through the many relentless beatings I've witnessed. The old chevy v6 has been wearing a host of modifications for many years and has definitely proven itself as a reliable engine, however as with all things it was time for something with just a bit more go.

Stripped of all drivetrain and wiring it was time to meet the sawzall. With much of the lower chassis going into the scrap pile, the plan is to rebuild it as a tube buggy to overcome the deficiencies of a modified production frame. The end result will retain the nimble qualities of the flatfender platform with the power and precision of a tube chassis.

Full fresh start! The whole chassis was completely cut out to accommodate the new LS drivetrain as well as much more improved suspension mounts.

The heart of version three is a 6.0 liter lq4 mated to a 4l60e and an Advance Adapters  3.0 Atlas transfer case. Sadly the long tube headers didn't make the cut, as the collector ran directly in the path of the driveshaft.

 If the motor seems like it fits all too well its because Betty was designed with future ls power in mind. The motor sits very tight in the chassis and is slightly offset to the passenger side to accommodate the drivelines as well as offset the drivers weight. Achieving a better weight balance and center of gravity were important goals in the redesign.

New front frame tubes were bent and tacked.

As well as the drivetrain cradle

The end result is a chassis that is much slimmer with the ability to tuck all the suspension components flat on the skid and deliver a much better center of gravity. Stay tuned for more updates as we really start to throw some tube at the chassis. 

Moab, The Land of My People

When a big green bus with a jeep on the back pulls up just get on
and don't ask questions

       If you're interested enough to be reading this then I'm going to tell you now, you just need to go there. It doesn't matter what your flavor of outdoor adventure is, figure out how to get to Moab at some point. I know, everyone else has been telling me this for as long as I've been wheeling and I too continued to brush it off. Trust me, find a way to get there, especially if 4x4 is what makes you tick.  Honestly I really didn't see myself going for quite some time. Having been married only a year to my beautiful wife and starting a new job in a completely new industry it seemed some of my bucket list adventures would have to wait just a moment for life to settle down and make a little room. That was until my phone rang with an offer I couldn't refuse. My good friend Tim needed a copilot in the bus and the fare was cheap. Clothes went in a suitcase and I borrowed a camera (just a little too nice for me) and I headed out the door for the next 10 days without a clue of what to expect. 

Westbound bus!

Axleshafts on the wall at Oreilly's? Yes please.

     What we found in the town of Moab, was nothing short of a model home for outdoor enthusiasts. Any stop in town was accompanied by the noise of big tire knobs rolling down main street or that ever distinguishable sound of a Polaris RZR cruising by. Built adventure vans and big 4x4's are the norm, not the minority here. Our first night in town we found ourselves eating at the Moab Brewery for Thanksgiving, surrounded by pictures of old jeeps and every kind of outdoor enthusiast you could imagine. Indeed every town needs to be more like Moab.

Goose Island Campground was our home
sweet home for the week

      
     
      
       We set camp on the banks of the Colorado River and across from the massive cliff that marked the border of Arches National Park. For an "uninitiated wheeler" from the east coast, wheeling on public land is a bit of a mind boggling fact. Anywhere on the east coast, if you lock it in 4wd off pavement you better know where you are and you better have the right permission. Without it could mean heavy fines or use restrictions from larger parks. Each time waivers are signed, money changes hands, passes are checked often etc. Our first day on the Hell's Revenge trail we were amazed that we payed the toll (5 measly dollars per vehicle!) and were handed a map. Though nobody in the area seems to take access for granted. We saw only enough trail trash in one week to not even fill a shopping bag. East coast private parks continually fight the battle with irresponsible users and they check everyone at the door! The care shown by the majority of land users in Moab is fantastic, it is comforting to see coming from a place where we are continually fighting misuse and closure. To be able to four wheel on such beautiful and challenging geography is awesome.

Point your camera anywhere, Moab doesn't take a bad picture.

You think you're a good driver until this guy rolls though and
crawls everything

        The town is great and having access to all of this is awesome but the real reason to get there is to just experience it. I found in our 7 day straight marathon of trail riding, that it doesn't take a rock buggy to get out and fully experience all that Moab has to offer. In fact, many of the 4x4's that passed us ranged from buggies to small daily driver jeeps. All running the same trail, each just as interested in watching the other crawl through. Asking questions about rigs and peeking underneath the hood is usually the norm on most trails, Everyone is cut from the same mold at least a little bit. What struck me on the trails of Moab is how cross-cultural every outdoor enthusiast seemed to be. Instead of just other jeepers, hikers and runners were asking to crawl underneath for a closer look.  It's great because everyone identifies with each other as an enthusiast of the outdoors no matter what vehicle we use to get there. For hardcore rockcrawlers like us, there are places that offer much more of what we like to do; we could have very well driven to Johnson Valley and wheeled boulder strewn canyons all week. What couldn't be matched was the sense of community I felt as an outdoor enthusiast. Nowhere did we feel out of place, we were just the dirty jeepers sitting down for a bite to eat in the midst of every other outdoor nut in town. For that week,  all we saw were smiling faces and a willingness to help a bunch of east coast rednecks find their way in Moab. Before we even arrived in town, our second tow rig experienced major trailer failure. In all three parts stores and the tire shop (who happened to have exactly the 2 wheels we needed!) we found nothing but experienced and truly helpful people who jumped through a few hoops to get us on our way safely. A slew of parts were ordered, most which were destined to back on the shelf since we were unsure of what we would need after the dis assembly process. We even got a phone number and address from a transplanted east coast wheeler working at the tire shop, He absolutely insisted we go wheeling with him the next time we were in, and when we asked about lunch he directed us to his wife who worked at the Moab diner. Being back in the hustle and bustle of city life, it's easy to miss the kindness and hospitality of Moab and its residents.

Pritchett Canyon trail was by and large our favorite.

       Seriously, just figure out how to get there if you haven't been. I'll say it to anyone who asks, just find a way. It doesn't take a rock buggy and a crazy tow and toter setup. Put a small to medium sized rig together and get there. Everyone can find an adventure here if you can just take the plunge. For us east coast wheelers half the adventure is just getting a jeep to the other side of the continent. Take your rig, no matter how big or small and use it for what you always meant it for. I promise the adventure itself will be its own reward. I'm currently trying to figure out how to get back as soon as I can, hopefully with my wife and my own rig in tow. Until then you can find me around a campfire somewhere back east telling a story or two about our crazy trip out west.

Oh and don't forget to take a good camera, trust me on that.