I’m hearing Sutton has sent around an email saying he’s back in business.....
Funny, I must not be on the mailing list. I haven’t seen a copy of it - but will.... and I’m sure it’s nothing more than marketing.

Let’s see how many people ignore what we’ve been saying and choose to use the dickhead.

Craig,
If your spindles are like mine, make sure you do the update to your spindles.
It's not labor intensive, but definitely worth doing.
I posted before and after of mine just for reference.
:lol:

what is that 3/8" plate????

The spindle upright? It's 5/8 plate

I thought of Craig’s thread and your post Greg when I saw this today.

https://i.postimg.cc/fRG3CkmD/552496...C9-CEA0987.jpg

:shakehead:

^Jumbo shrimp

Keep at it Craig, onwards and upwards

Tinker, that spindle mod is hilarious!
Great to see this build moving forward finally!

Same “MODS” I made when I went back out to Cali — anything and everything with that BOZO’s name or logo went straight to where it belonged all along....


THE TRASH CAN

I was able to get a copy of the email Ron sent out, and thought I would share it...with the appropriate translation.



I'm excited to announce I'm going to continue my business on a smaller scale, offering tech services & a full line of chassis, suspension & brakes.

Because the "larger" scale business is in bankruptcy

It will be just me. So I will be working with a smaller group of clients I chose to work with. Those of you that have worked with me for a few years, know I can be slow to respond as I get buried with projects. I'm going to take on less projects & work on improving my response time, but it still can take a week or so sometimes. Please be patient with me. If you need quicker responses, I'm probably not a good fit.

People just beating down the door to work with you, I bet. So if your lucky enough to be "chosen" by Ron, you'll be rewarded with one week response times when your issue comes up with his stuff. Wow, sounds great, sign me up

I'm not "open for business" yet. I still have to move & set up my inventory, as well as re-setup credit card processing. It will probably be the 2nd week of December before I'm "up & running".

Take this as he hasn't finished with the bankruptcy on the previous business. He got paid for parts he was drop shipping, but is not paying the vendors for the products he sold, instead filing bankruptcy. Needs to set up credit card processing in the new business name and start this all over again...

7 Key things coming:
1. I will be running "Holiday specials" in December & January. I'll email you once I'm "open for business" with what they are.

Will be from vendors he actually paid


2. No Workshop tour, trade shows or track displays. I hated being away from my family 12 times a year, so I'm eliminating those.

His sponsors paid him to maintain his sticky forums and to do the workshop. No more sponsors, means no more workshop, trade shows, track displays. Yeah, this was his decision...

3. I am launching my own blog & forum website where you can learn & ask tech questions online. I'll email you when it is "live."

He was removed as a forum sponsor by LateralG and Pro-Touring. Because he can no longer sell on these sites or get paid to maintain his forum stickies, he will just make his own. What a guy, just giving back...

4. Mid-January, I will update my online catalog to show we no longer sell engines or turn key cars. But we will continue to sell rolling chassis, build-your-own Track-Warriors, Clips, etc. Otherwise, my entire product line will be available.

This means because he didn't pay SDPC Raceshop for previous engines, had engines built for customers without the parts that were spec'd and paid for, no one will build or sell him engines. As to the no longer selling turn key cars, well, kinda built only one and it was a disaster.

5. I am adding a new line of suspension packages I call AutoX-Star, as well as a lower cost weld-on Track-Warrior front clip package.

This means his Howe copy stuff will only be twice as expensive than from other vendors, instead of three times more.

6. Also in the updated catalog will be a lot of new trick parts for building up your muscle car with factory frames & clips.

Brought to you by the same fab shop that built Greg Welds Dirt Missile...

7. I will be adding a ton of "Tech-Helpers" & better instructions to help with your build.

But do "tech-helpers" and instructions help when you screwed up the design originally. No amount of instructions or tech helpers would have helped with the mistakes you made on my parts


I hope you & your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Best wishes !!!

Ron Sutton

Got the header laid out, cut, and fitted. Took some time! I'm using 321 stainless, so even the tacks have to be back purged.
Got all the primaries within 1/2", cleared everything, including the tire at full turn and compression. Also have good access to the plugs and flange bolts.
These actually can be removed with the engine in. You do have to play a little Tetrus, but I've done it a few times now!

https://i1060.photobucket.com/albums...skfkkmlnb.jpeg
https://i1060.photobucket.com/albums...sh9rbbcml.jpeg
https://i1060.photobucket.com/albums...s788uewbw.jpeg
https://i1060.photobucket.com/albums...s5i1bwzp6.jpeg
https://i1060.photobucket.com/albums...sfb9bvhma.jpeg
https://i1060.photobucket.com/albums...sa4j6mlny.jpeg
https://i1060.photobucket.com/albums...slfxmp5yl.jpeg
https://i1060.photobucket.com/albums...swsleqdjk.jpeg
https://i1060.photobucket.com/albums...srjp1xmmr.jpeg

https://i1060.photobucket.com/albums...spw2kyyon.jpeg
https://i1060.photobucket.com/albums...snjtdqfny.jpeg
https://i1060.photobucket.com/albums...slqshgjql.jpeg


The headers are swept back to clear the brace for the coil over. I threw a piece of lego in to show where that goes.


https://i1060.photobucket.com/albums...sodfhgvja.jpeg

These pics are showing ridiculously huge on my computer. Still posting with Photobucket the same, so don't know what's going on.

A couple hours in those. 👍

Those are some cool headers. Nice work!

Great job with those headers Craig!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Fixed the picture size issue, I think...are they showing normal size now?

Need to finish welding them up and start making the other side.

https://i1060.photobucket.com/albums...sjaedtkhv.jpeg
https://i1060.photobucket.com/albums...sfkd21p47.jpeg
https://i1060.photobucket.com/albums...swc8spfhk.jpeg

They look right on my screen. Also look amazing! Lotta work there.

The last 3 pics posted look good size.

And the car is coming along.

#NoMoreSauce

Okay, now I know what to resize to. Sucks that I have to process before uploading to FB.

Thanks, 100 degrees in the shop and now I'm working on it...

Looks good Craig. Might try and drop by the shop on Tuesday if you are going to be around.

Yep, always here or on my way back.

Very nice, Craig. Can they be taken out fairly easily? Keep up the good work!

Looks like a ton of antidive if you leave the upper arms like that. Those headers are amazing. Would take me months just to weld them up, LOL. Nice collectors, Burns
or ? I'm interested to see how the rest of the exh system will run!

Went to your business website. Impressed! There are virtually no shops like that in the Phoenix area I'm aware of, especially that will work on Sprinter vans. The Dodge dealers hate them, Benz dealers wont work on Dodge variants and vice versa,but there's a shop in Casa Grande, about 45 miles south that does all the diesel sprinters for 5 HVAC companies I know( about 150 trucks). The companies hate the distance and travel time, but are at a loss for another solution.

Hi Craig, just finished reading this whole thread. I too run Ron's GT rear and front clip. Already read Greg's thread too. I bought this stuff in 2016 thinking it was the holy grail setup for our old cars. This is my punishment for not staying updated with the threads - I miss out on news like this (regarding Ron's stuff). Will follow this thread religiously to see which of his parts you modify or throw out. (I like how Speedtech modified the LCA in Greg's car). I'd like to salvage anything I can, since those clips weren't cheap....

I can't thank you enough for sharing your experience with Ron, as well as all the details of the build.

I already ripped out the decoupled stuff in the rear and switched to a standard 3 link. I've been scanning the entire internet for feedback from people who ACTUALLY run this rear setup. Talked to multiple people, most notably Tony Ave (who has experience with these in Trans Am). He basically said this design isn't as effective as we all think. His words were "braking stability is much better without it" and "weight and handling changes as it wears".

Also found a video of this setup in a customer car, taking a beating. Anyone know who's car that is? Can't imagine many ppl are running it? Curious how it performed, considering the decoupled setup used in past Trans Am cars was wayy bigger and beefier:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c...&v=t3LCG7Q9nHo

Thanks, yep, Burns double slip collectors. Also, had them run the X program for my engine to arrive at a primary size and length. Surprised me on primary length and making life difficult to fit!

Thanks, I too hate Sprinters. Expensive parts and difficult to diagnose. Basically, whatever codes you have, the problem is something that didn't code.

I think if you wanted to put in the effort, it could be made to work slightly better than a standard 3-link only because we use 200 treadwear tires. At the end of the day, I'm not willing to chase setup on a constantly moving target.


That's Ron Ver Mulm's car. Talked with him about the decoupled setup, and he was working with it. He had to change out the lower link compression spring unit with one that had more spring travel and a higher spring rate. He had to send the upper shock back to Advanced Racing Suspension to have it MASSIVELY revalved, from Ron it has like 20lbs. of compression, which is about useless. I'll be scrapping it as well and just running a 3 link designed by Riggin's Engineering.

The De-Suttoned 3 link FTW !!

Really? And this guy called himself a shock expert....:rolleyes:

I was ready to throw the decoupled unit in the trash until I found out Derhaag motorsports is running a dampened accel link on their TA car. Maybe down the line I'll modify the accel link to the extent that Ver Mulm did and test it on a track day, since it bolts right in place of the standard 3 link bar....it would be nice to have something cushion the "hit" on acceleration....

BTW appreciate the detailed photos on the ICE kit, I'll be purchasing that soon

You got any pics of that? Curious how they have it setup.

Unfortunately no, can't find pics anywhere. Tony Ave is the one who told me when responding to my question regarding the decoupled 3 link in TA racing:

"It was made illegal at one time and in the meantime it has since sort of been ignored since the systems we use now do not require the dampening, although I believe Derhaag still runs on accel.

Braking stability is much better without it, and i use the accel load in a fashion that the dampener actually hurts performance.

We do not carry any of that stuff anymore"

Hopefully you know I am kidding. :)

When I say "De-Suttoned" I mean that, like Weld and Speedtech did, one has taken the "decoupled" out of the equation and made it a standard 3 link. :thumbsup:

Seeing how much the pinion angle changes relative to the rear axle suspension travel... holy crap. It's dumb luck that the splines didn't pop out of the driveshaft!!

Lol yes your De-sutton comment made me laugh. I was referring to the previous comment from Craig about having to re-valve everything. I forgot to quote him in my post!


(in Rons voice) “Don’t worry about the working angles, that’s for street cars, not race cars” :lol:

Start using Tapatalk or whatever it’s called — SO Much easier to upload photo straight up the the post..... Use their “medium” size —

Lat G has always been a POS to upload photos to - and it’s a shame because the forum is all about sharing info and photos speak a 1000 words.

The ONLY REASON to use this rear end suspension was so Sutton could create dependence.... he was well aware of the type of people he was preying upon.... knew that by selling the most complicated POS he could find on the internet would make you beholden to him.... nobody else around is going to help you... it’s his “M.O.”

Talked to a guy running an arrive and drive operation the other day — telling him the story of the “NOT SAUCE” — the minute I mentioned his name —- the guy raises his hand to stop me — says “I talked to him a couple times — he has no clue what he’s talking about but man can he act like he is all Mister Race” === then we had some good laughs. This guy knew of his race operation — said straight up — that whole thing was nothing but a scam.

Have you had any time to work on this one lately?