Grassroots Motorsports

Register Log in to GRM
- Community

Birthdays
Recently on the Classic Motorsports forums

Subscribe get a full year for only $23.95 Sample Free Test Drive—no strings attached

Login to post Forums » Grassroots Motorsports » Tubbed FWD poseurs

1 2 3

July 2, 2008 11:55 a.m. Duke Dork

confuZion3 wrote: With these two Tubbed FWD cars that we're talking about (the yellow [Tempo], and the [red Celica] Duke brought up), I wonder, when these guys are driving them, if they have trouble making it up hills. Don't even get me started about driving in the rain.

Rather than continue this in the Tempo thread [ here's the Tubby Tempo ], I started a new one to discuss these monstrosities and how they could possibly have come to be. I understand the concept behind show cars (even if I don't like it) but how is it possible to go this far down the road in the opposite direction from reality?

I've seen this car cruising by on the main street in my town. It sounds like a stock 4-cylinder automatic with fart cannons. I cannot imagine just how bad it is to drive. I've never had the chance to see it up close - I'm not sure I could look away if I did. With ugly functionality at one end of the spectrum, and gorgeous uselessness at the other end, what do you say about somebody who spends a huge amount of time, effort, and above all MONEY in pursuit of ugly uselessness? Discuss.
July 2, 2008 12:00 p.m. slefain Dork

Epic. Fail.
July 2, 2008 12:08 p.m. neon4891 HalfDork

stupid people...
July 2, 2008 12:12 p.m. John Brown UltimaDork

I am fine with them... someone needs to make my stock faded Escort look good.
July 2, 2008 12:15 p.m. Salanis Dork

I would love to see this guy drag race.

Hmm... I wonder if I could beat him on a bicycle...
July 2, 2008 12:23 p.m. stuart in mn Dork

It's nothing new...Rick Dobbertin built a faux Pro Street Grand Am back in 1988 that was featured in Hot Rod magazine. http://www.dobbertinhydrocar.com/Grand%20Am.htm
July 2, 2008 12:34 p.m. confuZion3 HalfDork

I wonder what, if anything in there, is hooked up. Like the "NOS" (or "NOZ" as it's being pronounced now), the rear wheels, or what looks like a roll cage.

Edit: Oh yeah, it's front wheel drive. Look at the axle. There doesn't seem to be a differential housing down there.
July 2, 2008 1:14 p.m. amaff Reader

dear lord, you've got to be kidding me. This is for real!?

I have no words.

confuZion3: I think the word you're looking for is "NAWZ" ;)
July 2, 2008 1:14 p.m. Jay_W HalfDork

LOL parachute. Wotta maroon. I blame the video games for this. You spend fake money in the game, souping up your vitual car. This makes it look different, and it's now faster! So you go out to your driveway and put a nos sticker on your honda and now it must be faster too! Imagine how fast it'll be if you tub the thing and make it "look like" a pro stock car! I'd love to see that guy take it to a strip and get pwned by a Saturn...
July 2, 2008 1:22 p.m. Salanis Dork

Jay_W wrote: I'd love to see that guy take it to a strip and get pwned by a MOPED...

Fixed.
July 2, 2008 1:25 p.m. GameboyRMH Dork

So what exactly am I looking at? Is "tubbing" an extreme form of ricing? This is very confusing Is it a joke?
July 2, 2008 1:31 p.m. oldopelguy HalfDork

GameboyRMH wrote: So what exactly am I looking at? Is "tubbing" an extreme form of ricing? This is very confusing Is it a joke?

Seriously? Tubbing refers to the rear wheel inner fenders being enlarged to allow room for oversized rear tires. On a RWD car, for drag racing, this allows for bigger tires for more traction for a better launch. On a FWD car it's just plain stupid, though not a stupid as the wheelie bars that if they were to ever work would require the only driving wheels in the car to be off the ground.

I thought that Grand Am in Hot Rod had been converted to RWD, like a lot of guys did with the Daytonas in the late 80's. I remember the big hub-ub about it's rear axle being solid mounted to the frame making it not really "streetable," and the "fix" being a rear suspension added with valve springs for suspension.
July 2, 2008 1:32 p.m. Duke Dork

Tubbing means to cut out the insides of the (usually rear) wheelwells in order to fit monster tires under the car. New "tubs" are fabricated to clear the massive rubber.

Normally it's done in powerful dragracers that need big traction. In this car and the yellow Tempaz, it was done 100% for show, since the rear wheels aren't even driven.

@ amaff: Yes, I can vouch for the red Celica as being real - at least, "real" in the sense of "a physical object you can touch". I've seen it cruising on the street near here. The "Street Trenz" magazine appears to be based locally, too - I've emailed the mag asking about the car. If I find anything out, I'll let you know.

@ oldopelguy: I've seen a RWD Daytona doorslammer that was massively tubbed in the back. It was still packing the turbo 2.2, but it was also making 10-second passes.
July 2, 2008 1:34 p.m. GameboyRMH Dork

Ooooh I see...I guess I didn't think of the tubs because of the skis on the back, weird boxed riveted onto the front, front upper skid plates, etc.
July 2, 2008 1:36 p.m. poopshovel Dork

I just...I can't...um...berkeleying wow. Bonus points for unnecesary use of dryer hose.
July 2, 2008 1:40 p.m. neon4891 HalfDork

WAIT, are those Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle stickers on the green cover?
July 2, 2008 1:48 p.m. Salanis Dork

neon4891 wrote: WAIT, are those Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle stickers on the green cover?

I'm 100% certain that those add more horsepower than his NOS stickerz. Those are quite possibly the only semi-redeeming feature on this car.
July 2, 2008 1:51 p.m. John Brown UltimaDork

Next to the rhinestone studded plywood hood scoop.
July 2, 2008 1:52 p.m. neon4891 HalfDork

Just ince I would love to take a nice FWD performance car to the strip and see what would happen in you just threw some compact spare tires on the back, but I think tech inspection would shoot it down.
July 2, 2008 2:09 p.m. oldopelguy HalfDork

Heh, I didn't even see the hood scoop, it's so far off the right hand of my screen and I ddin't bother trying to scroll over. Wow.
July 2, 2008 2:15 p.m. Jensenman UltimaDork

People are like crows: they like shiny useless objects.
July 2, 2008 2:16 p.m. Strizzo Dork

neon4891 wrote: Just ince I would love to take a nice FWD performance car to the strip and see what would happen in you just threw some compact spare tires on the back, but I think tech inspection would shoot it down.

lots of ppl use two compact spares for cheap "skinnys" at the track, they're DOT approved, so the track doesn't care i guess
July 2, 2008 2:25 p.m. Keith UltraDork

The wheelie bars are the best! I love it.
July 2, 2008 2:28 p.m. 93celicaGT2 New Reader

And actually..... people DO use "Wheelie bars" on fwd drag cars.... but they serve an entirely different purpose.

There's a local guy with a K24/K20 hybrid in an Insight, and he has bars in the back, and 80lb springs in the back. The bars hit the ground, and force a certain amount of traction back on the front tires.
July 2, 2008 2:59 p.m. Dr. Hess UberDork

That poor Celica. It must be terribly embarrased.

1 2 3

You'll need to log in to post.