P500 There's 2 kinds of people...

[Jshell3]

I've noticed that when it comes to decking out our P500's, there's 2 kinds of people.

1. Bolt on
2. Build on

I am a "Bolt on" guy. I admit it. I've added up my $2,000 total spend on accessories and came to this realization... If someone else doesn't make it, I don't use it. Everything I have from roof, racks, windshields, and add-ons... has someone else's name stamped all over it... I'm the happiest when the bolt holes align like the instructions say they should...

Meanwhile, in walks the "Build on" guys with their fancy welding machines... They aren't afraid to take a grinder to the frame. These are your custom fit (it's gonna work come hell or high water) guys that fashion their own brackets on the fly. They use words like "fabricate".

• Need a body chop? I'm your guy.
  
• Never been done before?!? Not a problem.

The kinda guy that might mention a performance short fall on post 3 then give it a retro fit, one of a kind fix 2 weeks later. Things Honda should have thought about, you figure it out. From the Shocks to the Glovebox, Fender Flares ... and everywhere in between.
The rest of us will ask you questions, but deep down, we know... we've become the audience to your show.

I'm jealous of the "Build on" guys... Mostly because I don't have the Money or the Experience (frankly tearing into my machine scares me), but my, how I enjoy watching the creativity grow!!!

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go educate myself about which 5+2 rim offset to buy.

 

[Admin]

 

[FuzzyGrub]

FWIW: I envy the builders!

 

[rocmar]

I've noticed that when it comes to decking out our P500's, there's 2 kinds of people.

1. Bolt on
2. Build on

I am a bolt on guy. There. I admit it. I've added up my total spend on accessories to this point and realized after about $2,000 that if someone else doesn't make it, I don't use it. Everything I have from roof, racks, windshields, and add-ons... has someone else's name stamped all over it...

Meanwhile, I'm quite jealous of the "build on" guys (mostly because you own a welding machine)... and aren't afraid to take a grinder to the frame. These are your custom fit (it's gonna work come hell or high water) guys that fashion their own brackets on the fly. The kinda guy that might complain about a performance short fall on post 3 and then have a retro fit, one of a kind fix 2 weeks later. The rest of us may ask you questions, but deep down we know we have become observers in the audience to your show.

I don't have the Money or Experience to be a builder. Frankly it scares me a little bit, too. But man how I enjoy seeing the pictures!

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go educate myself about which 5+2 rim offset to buy.

Don't get black ones if you
ride alot of rocks....
scuffs up....bad.
Just sayin

 

[rocmar]

Dude...it's kool.
That Logo on your
Hood is all you....
Props to those who
have mods & shared
them....everybody got
there own vision....& ideas
I've done stuff that...was
later removed..

 

[JohnNH]

To each his own I always say , I love working and building things as a mechanic/welder by trade I'm just use to doing it although if I had the money to throw at the machine I'd most likely buy the bolt on stuff I have a 2015 700-4

 

[locoboilerguy]

I must say I have seen guys with little or no experience buy a cheapo welder, grinder and with some time and care make some pretty cool stuff. I have 100,000# of machine tools, fab. equipment and welding machines but don't make much myself because of time. So my point is if a guy wants to give it a try and can afford some cheap tools why not There are plenty of people on this forum including myself who would be more than happy to answer your fabrication questions. Its pretty hard to actually screw something up to the point it cannot be fixed. Steel is very forgiving.

 

[allgm1]

I guess I'm what you call a "build it" guy. Trust me you should not be jealous of those who build their own stuff, its not all a big bowl of cherries, getting burned by hot parts, dripping weld slag and the sparks coming off the grinder knida takes the sport out it. The way I see the two kinds of guys is:
First you have the guy that payed attention in school, got good grades, graduated and got a good paying job so he can afford to buy the stuff that everyone else makes.
then you have the other guys that attended school, didn't pay attention, graduated, got a half arse job and learned the hard way to make do with what you have.
I'm the later type of guy, my wife claims I can make gold from a pile of dog poo, give me a pile of rusty old metal and an idea then get out of the way.
Funny you brought this post up, I've been wanting to put an automotive sized battery on the 700, and with winter coming it was time to get busy. I started with some of the rusty metal that is shown in the pictures taken in the back of my truck a little angle iron and a small piece of 1 1/2" pipe
first pic shows the battery mount upside down

a shot from underneath

with the side panel removed

 

[Jshell3]

I guess I'm what you call a "build it" guy. Trust me you should not be jealous of those who build their own stuff, its not all a big bowl of cherries, getting burned by hot parts, dripping weld slag and the sparks coming off the grinder knida takes the sport out it. The way I see the two kinds of guys is:
First you have the guy that payed attention in school, got good grades, graduated and got a good paying job so he can afford to buy the stuff that everyone else makes.
then you have the other guys that attended school, didn't pay attention, graduated, got a half arse job and learned the hard way to make do with what you have.
I'm the later type of guy, my wife claims I can make gold from a pile of dog poo, give me a pile of rusty old metal and an idea then get out of the way.
Funny you brought this post up, I've been wanting to put an automotive sized battery on the 700, and with winter coming it was time to get busy. I started with some of the rusty metal that is shown in the pictures taken in the back of my truck a little angle iron and a small piece of 1 1/2" pipe
first pic shows the battery mount upside down
View attachment 24531
a shot from underneath
View attachment 24532
with the side panel removed
View attachment 24533

Nice! Full size battery makes sense. Certainly enough hollow places behind the plastic to mount it. !!

 

[JTW]

For me it's a time vs cost.. there are some things it just makes sense to buy vs build. For me the strongmade bumper and basket were two of those things. By the time I bought the materials, screwed up, bought more and then spent 20 hours working on the stuff.. I'd have been waaaay better off just buying the bolt on stuff. I just don't like to buy junk.. that's my big issue with a lot of the bolt on type stuff. So when a good product is offered with an affordable price.. that will actually save me money in the long run.. I'm all over it! I would prefer to build stuff myself.. but there comes a point where you're better off to buy it.

 

[trigger]

Just gotta make it your own. Never want to wonder which one's mine.

 

[rocmar]

For me it's a time vs cost.. there are some things it just makes sense to buy vs build. For me the strongmade bumper and basket were two of those things. By the time I bought the materials, screwed up, bought more and then spent 20 hours working on the stuff.. I'd have been waaaay better off just buying the bolt on stuff. I just don't like to buy junk.. that's my big issue with a lot of the bolt on type stuff. So when a good product is offered with an affordable price.. that will actually save me money in the long run.. I'm all over it! I would prefer to build stuff myself.. but there comes a point where you're better off to buy it.

Yeah...
Tim The Toolman Taylor....
just buy dude....
until you've mastered
the BBQ.
HAHAHAHAHAHA

 

[JTW]

Yeah...
Tim The Toolman Taylor....
just buy dude....
until you've mastered
the BBQ.
HAHAHAHAHAHA

I'll cut you!!

 

[Tflynn]

The original post made me laugh out loud multiple times! It's taken me years to acquire all my tools and who knows how many dollars. Yet I'm still certain I save money by making things myself (maybe??) I think what inspires the "build it" camp is a lack of options. I don't want to be told I can't have it because no one makes it, so I make it.

 

[sharp]

The original post made me laugh out loud multiple times! It's taken me years to acquire all my tools and who knows how many dollars. Yet I'm still certain I save money by making things myself (maybe??) I think what inspires the "build it" camp is a lack of options. I don't want to be told I can't have it because no one makes it, so I make it.

We'll said my Northern California, internet friend! Lol

 

[sharp]

The original post made me laugh out loud multiple times! It's taken me years to acquire all my tools and who knows how many dollars. Yet I'm still certain I save money by making things myself (maybe??) I think what inspires the "build it" camp is a lack of options. I don't want to be told I can't have it because no one makes it, so I make it.

Your last sentence is the perfect signature.

 

[Jshell3]

The original post made me laugh out loud multiple times!

Thank you.

 

[Alan aka Davinci]

I must say I have seen guys with little or no experience buy a cheapo welder, grinder and with some time and care make some pretty cool stuff. I have 100,000# of machine tools, fab. equipment and welding machines but don't make much myself because of time. So my point is if a guy wants to give it a try and can afford some cheap tools why not There are plenty of people on this forum including myself who would be more than happy to answer your fabrication questions. Its pretty hard to actually screw something up to the point it cannot be fixed. Steel is very forgiving.

I know people that could screw up a two car funeral.

 

[pFive]

I would gladly "Bolt on" a long arm suspension kit or a front spool if anyone made it. As it is I doubt if I will have time to make the A arm jigs and source axles and tie rod extensions this winter.

 

[Go-Getter]

I can say I am both. I will bolt it on but if an idea pops in my head I will build it. Added a mount for my light bar and rear view and a bracket under the hood for a small deep cycle battery under the hood. Oh and modified the bumper a bit when I did not like the way the winch fairlead mounted. Lol in the future I am planing a second tier storage rack for long rides.

 

[Montecresto]

I can say I am both. I will bolt it on but if an idea pops in my head I will build it. Added a mount for my light bar and rear view and a bracket under the hood for a small deep cycle battery under the hood. Oh and modified the bumper a bit when I did not like the way the winch fairlead mounted. Lol in the future I am planing a second tier storage rack for long rides.

I've been working on (planning stage only now) a second tier rack for over nighters myself.