About Us
Who is Why Not, well that is simple he is none other than Chris Palsmeier. Why am I called Why Not, well that goes something like this: "Upon a trip to the Jeep Jamboree at Hot Springs Arkansas several years ago as we sat at the bottom of a hill to which I said we should climb that hill. One of the guys (Air CJ) on the trail said WHY? And I then said WHY NOT! This is why I have been called WHY NOT for the last 20 plus years, and my catch phrase for my company today "Some people ask WHY? We just say WHY NOT!!!"
I would consider myself a family man from the word go. My wife and daughter come first and foremost in every case, unless there is this really cool rig that needs my attention, oh sorry I got off track again. In 2007 the love of life and the best build I ever did was born, my daughter Jozlin. My wife has always been my support staff and team, and is always pushing me to do what I love, and that is building something that is different and unique.
The other part of being a family man would be my brothers and my father. In 2008 I lost my mother to her fight against breast cancer, I do miss her so! All of my wife's family and all of my close friends are all consider to part of my family, so I have a very big family, but they come first. This is why my business has very close family ties in all areas of how and why, Why Not Customs is what it is.
I got started working on and modifying cars in high school. I have owned everything from a 1972 Ford LTD (oh that was fun) to a 1999 Chevy 1 ton extended cab 454 vortec lifted 4X4 dually (I miss that truck). Like most boys growing up, all I knew was both feet flat on the floor. Now this lead to a lot of safe driving awards (tickets)!!!! Like everything I do, I can't leave well enough alone. You give me a perfectly good car/truck and I will have to modify it some way just because I want something different, or in my mind better. It started with my 67 GTO that spent most of its life on the track going a 1/4 mile at a time. Then my 67 Shelby GT came along, don't you know I want that car back? My next project was a 1967 fast back that had a very well built stroked 289 that also spent a lot of time running down the 1/4 mile strip. Do you see a pattern here? I seem to have this problem with going fast, or is that just a guy thing? Now you are probably wondering how I got into 4X4's, well that was another turning point in my life.
What started me down the path of 4X4 rigs was the purchase of a Yamaha Virgo that I enjoyed way too much which was a good thing. Now when you are married you make decisions based upon trying to make the other person happy. I was told to sell the bike, which was my plan. Now since friends are there to help you, I thought trading my bike for a Jeep would make my x-wife happy, way wrong. I traded the bike for a 1980 CJ-5. I can now say that was one of many Jeeps ago. After putting the tranny back in the Jeep and taking my first drive in the Jeep, I told myself that I would never drive this again; I just did not like it? Well that all changed when I started modifying things to make it better or different, do you see a pattern here?
I have always been the person that when I am told you can't do that, I will go and show you that I can! I have done everything from building a customer fuel injection system for AMC 360 engine to diesel conversion. I already know where you are going, a custom fuel injection system? We machined a custom distributor that took a Chevy 350 fuel injection distributor and built it to fit an AMC engine on the bottom so that it would fit in the AMC timing cover. I then installed 368 Cadillac injectors for the 360 AMC engine. The wiring harness was built around the AMC engine, but was 100% Chevy. The camshaft was a Comp Cam that had the Chevy 350 fuel injection grind on an AMC blank. This now made the complete injection system 100% Chevy, fitting an AMC engine. This could be tuned or scanned by any GM dealer with out any issues of the base engine.
A diesel conversion was on my old snow plow truck. I needed more power (oh like that is anything new) over the 258 in-line 6 cylinder with better fuel economy. I wanted something simple, but different. I went with a 6.2 GM diesel backed up by a turbo 400 and divorce mount 205. This was very much different and fun to fit into the J-10 pick-up. When finished it performed as expected, more power when pushing snow and better fuel economy. Not to bad driving around in a Jeep pick-up getting upward of 20 miles to the gallon.
Now after years of having people ask me how did you do that and why did you do that, I came to the thought that in Wichita, KS there was not a 4X4 business that would entertain customer interface with technical support and some custom work. I was thinking about starting an off-road business, mostly based upon the Internet with some shop work to close the loop, but had not made the jump in that direction. Late in 2003 I received a call from someone wanting to know if I could supply him some axles, transfer case, engines and tires from an Internet classified page of used parts. After working out all the details I found out that this customer was in Iceland. This was the step I needed to help push me to follow my dream of having a business of my own. I started my business in 2004 and still to this day work with the guys in Iceland when they need help or parts.
Why Not Customs does everything from hosting off-road events to competition rigs to even being the tech team for a local mud run. We host an annual run at SMORR (Southern Missouri Off-Road Ranch) Labor Day weekend "Why Not Customs Labor Day Crawl" where money is raised to help support 4 wheel 2 heal. 4 Wheel to 2 Heal is a great organization that helps get our wounded service men and women back to a normal life by getting them out to enjoy life. Why Not Customs is also help Gina Guccione AKA Offroad Jeepgirls on Facebook achieve her dream of competing in the 2015 King of the Hammers event in Johnson Valley, CA!!!"
Why Not Customs has a complete line of products to help you in the process of building your dream toy. Why Not Customs will help on anything from Street Rods, daily drivers to 4X4 rigs to restoration projects or any other project that you can come up with. We have access to everything from mild to wild and do specialize in having surplus axles on hand from time to time. Our latest endeavors has been into the Rockwell 2-1/2 ton axles as well as making the step into the Diesel market. As always Why Not Customs is always looking for the different and unique for our customer as well as for our selves.
Thanks for stopping by and taking a look around. If you don't see what you are looking for, just ask.