Back to Main Tech Reports Page	XTV Raptor - Part II By, Dave "Rockwizard" Baker

The main chassis of the XTV Raptor will be painted by Mike Trammel Paint and Body. We chose a color called "mystic" which changes color as it moves throughout your line of sight. I have to say, that with the stainless steel body inserts, the color-changing tube chassis should look like veins. It will be truly awesome. A glass windshield was cut and will be installed by Triumph Auto Glass, as well as, a 1/2" thick section of Lexan in the floorboard, to enable us to see obstacles directly on the ground in front of us.

Additional Features

Fuel is contained by a Jaz Products 16-gallon fuel cell. Jaz fuel cells are steel tanks with poly liners which contain anti-slosh foam. RJS five-point harnesses make up the body straps. RCI Racing seats and covers handle butt duty. An 8000lb winch and roller fairlead take care of pulling when necessary. Diamond Industrial Titanium brakes slow us down and stay cool. A custom snorkel keeps the engine breathing freely when submerged. Stainless polished steel body inserts make up the body. Custom lighting illuminates the night and Autometer Phantom white face gauges provide vital statistics.

Future Plans

During the construction of the XTV Raptor, ARCA released the rules for the 2001 Goodyear National Rock Crawling Championships. Because of this, there will be some changes taking place very soon. The 44-inch tires will have to be scrapped for some 39.5-inch tires of the same combination. The 14-bolt rear end will be scrapped for a rear hydrosteer Dana 70. This will allow us to up our gearing, as well. The chassis will be change slightly to adhere to ARCA guidelines and the side to side off-camber equalization will be automatic rather than manual control.

In our next installment, we'll take the XTV Raptor to a few local four-wheel drive and buggy trails. I expect to crawl the rock sections and hit the buggy hills in high gear! The buggy hills we intend to conquer have not been climbed as of this date, so check back, as we bring the camera along and get vertical! Mike's trying to talk me into some bolted 44 inchers for Blairsville, GA! We'll see…

"To beat me, you will have to kill me. To kill me, you will need the heart to face me. To have the heart to face me, you must be willing to die yourself."

Click on a thumbnail to see a larger version Photos are from different time periods and reflect some of the changes the Raptor has gone through. They are in no particular order and many things have changed since shooting these photos.