Truck: Driven2Extremes II "BadVibes"
Pod Name: Badvibes.pod
Version: MTM2
Completed: 30 March 2000
[Textfile Updated 28 January 2003]

Greetings and thankyou for downloading my truck! Driven2Extremes II "BadVibes" is my latest and greatest truck, and I would appreciate it if you would take a few moments to read this text file before you go charging off around the track.


WHAT IS THIS CRAZY THING?

First, a quick history lesson: the first Driven2Extremes was finished in April last year. It was at that time my most ambitious truck: custom nose, stripped-off fenders to accomodate and outsized blown engine, double rear wing, and a seriously big "nose down, butt up" attitude. It was well recieved by the MTM2 community, and after a while I began thinking about building a "sequel". The new truck would retain the same basic principles, but I would be able to employ the truck making skills I had since learnt to make it better.

Well... it didn't happen that way. It was eventually decided in the later half of 1999 to make a D2E II, although I didn't tell anyone I was making it apart from mentioning a mysterious "secret project". As it happened, I didn't even make a start on it till the start of March 2000, when RobRoy decided to host an Originality Contest (as opposed to a Replica Contest). Entries for the contest closed on 1 April, which gave me a very tight timeframe to work in (especially with schoolwork, and exams fast approaching), but the desire to enter a truck in this contest was enough to drive me to make a start on the project. As you may have noticed, I only just got it completed in time.

As anyone who has seen the original D2E will know, D2E II "BadVibes" holds little in common with its forerunner besides the name. This is what happens when an idea is shelved for almost a whole year! As the months passed by and I learnt more and more of the art of truck making, I got further and further away from the original D2E idea.

I finally produced some concept drawings after Christmas '99. The idea I had arrived at now was to make verything custom, sleek and aggressive-looking. The stripped bonnet and fenders were the first to go: when I had worked out the design for the grille and headlights, I decided that stripped-off fenders would only ruin the sleek profile. So, I plumped for a hoodscoop to replace it. In fact, after considering the double-blown engine my brother had made way back when, I came up with a double-hoodscoop! The rollbar/cab flare would be custom-made, instead of being tubular it would have a teardrop cross-section to make it look more aerodynamic. The double rear wing was the only thing that stayed, although I made it larger and sleeker. Having drawn all this on paper, I decided it looked pretty striking in white rather than the charcoal grey that D2E was painted in, so white it was. Finally was the name change, or sub-title, of "BadVibes".

So that's how it all came together. I went about the body slant in a totally different way to the first D2E, it's not tilted an nearly as great an angle. The handling is set up for stability and mild understeer: this makes the truck very good at high speeds, as it won't spin out or fishtail easily, but you have to be careful when cornering. My advice is to brake carefully as you approach a corner, then accelerate as you turn, but you have be careful in judging your braking because once you start turning it's too late if you're going to fast!


CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE...

Hoodscoop(s): Sir James, modified by me to make it double!
Rooflamps: Inky.
Frame: LordCap, modified by me to fit.
Wheels: Weezil.
Exhaust pipes: from the Chevy HT by CHEVcc_PHoBoS.
Engine and shocks: no idea.
Body: Originally a fiberglass Bigfoot body by LordCap. This underwent severe surgery by me to make it longer and in particular to make the front end look sleek!
Paint, rollbar/cab flare, rear wing and brakelights: me.
Beta testers: big thanks to Adam, IDRA_Kdogg, IDRAc_Blizzard, BEEK, and Inky... although I didn't hear back from some of you I'm sure you had fun with it anyway!


FINALLY:

Suggestions and comments welcome please.
You can e-mail me at d2smtm2@email.com

Check out my websites at http://mtm2.com/~d2s/

That's about all... have fun with this!

---Drive2Survive
"Live for the Ride. Drive to Survive."


WOT? YOU WANT MORE?

Stick around, there just may be a Limited Edition of D2E II in the works... but it's still a very hush-hush thing, so shhhhhhh...