You may know him as "Nemo" or part of the dynamic "Beat Renosance", but today Scott David Neal II is introducing himself as one of Local Motors experts on the great state of Texas. What does it take to be an "expert" - you have to own a deep understanding of local desires. Read on for Nemo's perspective on Texas, the Texas Hunting Vehicle Competition, and his personal inspiration - his uncle.
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By David Scott Neal II
Of all of Local Motors Competitions briefs, this competition may have the most stringent guidelines yet, and for good reason. The Texan sportsman has high standards, and the Texas truck has the most demanding of jobs. Demanding, yet simple to explain. DO EVERYTHING. The Texas hunter wants it all, and has shown overall to go to great lengths to get it, but at a high cost. Our goal is to meet those needs, and LM's goal is to bring down that cost, quite possibly providing the most versatile vehicle ever conceived for the Texas roads. Its Transformer meets Big Game Hunter meets James Bond. Mark my words the stakes are high.
In this competition i thought i had an edge because i am a Texan, died in the wool and blue blooded as all hell, and was ready for whatever the comp brief threw at me. Then when i read the brief, even though i related and had my own experience in this area, i wanted to get in the mind of our target audience, explore the very soul of our specified user and only one person came to mind for me. My good ol' Uncle Mike.
Bit of background on him, he's been my uncle my whole life (sarcasm), and he always LOVED hunting. My Uncle Mike took me to shoot my first gun, helped me catch my first fish, took me out on my first hunt. He knows his stuff all around the nature side of things. Irony is, for being such a keen outdoors-man, he lives in the suburb of the bustling ever expanding metropolis of Austin, Texas in one of the most demanding fields of said region, real estate.
He became my target audience, as he, as so many like him, have the HIGHEST demands for such a vehicle. I invited him to read the brief, which he was excited for, and asked him to collaborate ideas with me for what HE wants in a Texas Huntin' Truck. Aside from the brief he mentions things like "fuel injection no doubt about that", since carboreuted cars can flood easily and also get water in the engine much easier than a sealed fuel injection system. He also mentions many other unique features like "side mirrors that are retractable and actually french in to the body", "a rotating spot light operated from in cab", "consider spot lights that were actually the front of the side mirrors", "retractable rear gambral for hanging and handling game that needs to be field dressed" and "on board air compressor for flotation devices as well as the inevitable flat".
He advises in engineering too by saying things such as "most often external objects that are attached to vehicle are hung up on tree limbs and your thicker south Texas vegetation",and citing "some type of air or hydraulic suspension that will raise or lower each wheel individually for mud, rock, fallen tree type terrain etc", not to mention "enclosed engine exhaust configuration for your more swampy type applications", as well as " on demand push buttom 4-wheel drive" and "external 12 volt plug ins".
As you can see, we are charged with a task much greater than the sum of its parts. In knowing that i knew i couldn't do it alone, so I went to fellow design genius Jonathan Kasumba (Me2), creator of many great and well designed rides such as the Ex-Ta-C and many others, and collaboration partner on my PCH concept previously (the PCH still WIP, more coming soon!!), he was pleased to see my direction, and my research and picked up the proverbial reigns on took this stallion home. Its funny how halfway across the globe we can still connect our minds and push the same line, the same flow, the same mind at times it seems, and create something like the PCH, or in the case of our current Texas Motors collaboration, the Urban Cowboy. Jon has brought out the soul of what i interpreted my Uncle Mike's dream hunting/ street truck would be.
Collaboration is what Local Motors is at the very core of the community, at least that's one of the major things i have taken from it. in the spirit of the community i have reached out to respected peers and even my own family, to bring what i hope to be THE TEXAS TRUCK.
Good luck guys, always great working with ya.
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