Current Development Efforts

Winter:

Everything slows down during winter in South Dakota. It's too cold and too snowy to test vehicles.
(Unless you're building snowmobiles!) Taking stuff to the paint shop is a real pain - our trailer is buried under 3 feet of snow which makes it a big pain! Our manufacturing shop is busy fixing stuff for local customers. And, there aren't any car shows near by.

Our marketing, website, and prototype design guys are busy. They're working on offering MEKK certified donors for your projects, making this site easier to use, adding features like RSS based kit car news, adding an eBay kit car browser, and streamlining the purchase process (The new PayPal button for example). Our design and engineering guys think a motorcycle version would be a great addition to our product line. So they're working out the adapter specs.

Hopefully, you are dreaming about a new kit car or updating that old project sitting in the garage.
If so, please consider building that dream with a MEKK frame and a modern Neon power plant.

November:

Our prototype frame assembly has revealed differences between year builds on Gen. 1 Neons. This is addition to those already documented. Changes to the adaptor assembly have been proofed and changes to the drawing package implemented. In house adaptors have been modified.

Purchasers have not reported any issues (fortunately). So, we'll make a trip to the local "salvage facility" and take another set of comparison measurements.

Because we need to assemble, disassemble, and reassemble parts for photography (especially when the photographer didn't take exactly the angle our tech writer wants), we are adding optional steps to the assembly manual. We're explaining how purchasers can weld nuts to the adaptor allowing limited disassembly after the adaptor has been welded. Our base line procedure has bolts becoming captured within the adaptor during welding.

An optional gusset kit has been developed for customers using high performance (we define high performance as > stock Neon or > 155 HP) engines, customers planning to race their finished car, or customers building a vehicle for off road use. The gusset kit will come with instruction and suggestions for customer supplied additional bracing for sever use. [Note: No warrantee is implied or intended for off road or racing applications.]

October:

First frames have completed manufacture. We now have tacked frames with Gen 1 Neon adapters for sale. We have a completely welded frame ready for powder coating. When we find a donor, this frame will be used for our show car.

The prototype frame is being reassembled on our donor development mule. This build is being photographed for advertising and updating the draft assembly manual.

Our Stratus donor has left the building. It was just too cherry to cut up. We repaired it and sold it. We're sad to see it go! It was a great runner! And drove great.

May:

Donor Discoveries
We have learned a lot about the salvage business over the past several months. The availability of suitable donors, at least in South Dakota, Iowa, and Minnesota is more difficult than we had anticipated. Rebuilders in the under $2000, under 65K miles, and rear damage only are scarce. Further, after negotiating with several salvage yards we've found only one that is willing to cut up a vehicle to our specs.

So, we're considering offering "rollers" and selling pre-cut vehicle sections. Your area may be better supplied. If you're near a major city, availability should be much better.

An example of one of our recent donor purchases is a 2000 Stratus we picked up for under $2000. It's a high mileage vehicle (101K) but is in great mechanical and interior shape. It's so cherry inside (leather etc.) that we're arguing about using it or repairing it. We've also got a 1995 Neon in the shop with a bad engine and several months of "something dead in the trunk." Nobody wants to drive that one! But we have a couple of engines, so the under $1K price was right. We also found a Tracker to supply parts for a customer's Suzuki Samurai project.

2000 Stratus 2.5L V6 2003 Tracker for customer's
potential donor Samurai project

March:

Jig is ready to start producing frames. The search for an example donor has begun. A Gen II Neon with under 65K miles and no front damage is our target.

October:

We just picked up another Bradley GT II in MI. There's red metal flake under that ugly white paint. And it came with all the glass!

If it cleans up nice we'll use this body as one of our show and demo units.