Basura Blanco Racing - an evolving fleet

Lemons weekend @ Barber!  Britt and the 'Rolla getting some GRM coverage!  Tom's driving with us too!

A few cool pics stolen from the live thread

I was previously leaning toward buying one of the many jdm K24A's available on ebay/marketplace.  They're very readily available and multiple sellers have told me "they're the same as the US K24A2".   However, my research was telling me different.  I've read this statement several times:  The 06-08 K24A2 (comes in Acura TSX) is widely considered the best K series engine since, compared the K24A, K24A3, and pre 05 K24A2, it has stronger and lighter rods, updated pistons for more valve clearance, 1mm larger intake valves, improved intake cam, etc.

Andy Hollis confirmed this info for me with this link USDM K24A2 info  As I don't plan or want to tear into whatever engine I get, I determined that the 06-08 TSX engine is what I wanted.   I've put a deposit on an 06 unit with 88,000 miles and I'm pretty excited!

Since my previous engine "purchase" got sold out from under me (glad it did because it wasn't one of the primo years), I decided to run down to Miami to secure this low mileage '06.  I got to watch the guy pull off the automatic trans and most of the accessories. The only one I'll miss is the alternator.  

when I find the vin, I'll run a check to make sure they didn't fudge the year or mileage. The yard was located with about 20 other salvage businesses in a 6 or 8 square block area that looked like a 3rd world country.  Interesting little trip. lol. 

It seems the engine wanted to continue the trend of the car itself - not exactly as advertised.  I've confirmed it's an 06 tsx engine by the markings but the VIN has been cut off the block (hmmm, nothing suspicious there).  

I dug back through my previous fb messages related to other K24s for sale.  I had messaged 3 or 4 different people that all traced back to the same salvage yard.  And each time, the engine in question had "8x,xxx miles".  I'm beginning to pick up the clues now.  I made several calls to different contacts at the yard.  "Yeah, I'll send you the vin tomorrow".  "Let me see what I can find for you, I'll call you right back."  
 

crickets.  berkeleying liars.  So I think it's safe to say the engine has more than 88,000 miles, but I'll never know for sure.  
 

I turned it over by hand and pulled the valve cover.  All looks and feels fine, so we push onward.  Grrrrr

I ordered a bunch of stuff today:

ebay - Celica GTS aluminum radiator/fan kit

Kennedy Engineering - appropriate kit with adapter plate, flywheel, pilot bearing and bolts

autohausAZ - boxster clutch kit

Rockauto - TSX starter and alternator

Renegade hybrids - Boxster trans mount and hydraulic clutch kit

The guy doing the engine cradle says he can't get that to me until the end of March, so I figure I'll collect as much as I can and start knocking out the to-do list a little bit at a time.

No moss grows under your feet!

lol.  I def try to keep movin. I have a vision of this car completed and it's pretty motivating!   My coworker drives a Boxster and I drove the 914 to work the other day to show him the car.  The 8 mile round trip has a bunch of stoplights and it really highlighted how miserable the transmission is.  Can't wait for a smooth shifting car. 

Are you racing the Crown Vic at the FF on March 23rd?  I fly into town on that Saturday.  If you need some pit crew assistance.  

In reply to Scotty Con Queso :

I'm not going to make that one. It's the same weekend as the mud park in Punta Gorda, and my wife loves that event.  I appreciate the offer though!

the black car is off to its new home with my Lemons/Corolla team owner, Britt.  Glad to have the space back!

Britt was able to get the car running pretty easily!  I'm hopeful that it will be a driver again someday!

I did a bit of chopping on the front end for airflow to a future radiator. My rear trunk latch has been in-op since owning the car so I figured the best fix was to add a couple of the universal rubber latches that the factory GT racecars used. 

front bumper and lip got some repairs and paint while they were off. 

This weekend is a double header of SxS racing.  Saturday is the first CORS (competitive off-road racing series) event ever being held at the Firm.  This is a race series that has been around a few years and run at courses in Georgia and Alabama as far as I know, so it should be bringing in a pretty good sized group of competitive racers.  Sunday is a Firm rallyx.  The CORS race is a wheel-to-wheel short course format.  There are sprint races and also a 3 hour endurance race that utilizes areas of the Firm I've probably never seen before.   I've signed up for the short course event, but I'm skipping the enduro.  As cool as it sounds, my body and my machine would likely be roasted afterward and I want to be able to race on Sunday too.  

three yellow mid engine rigs. 
 

1st leg of the weekend. 2nd place in the short course main. I was battling this orange YXZ all day. We were very evenly matched and it was a blast!  I should've been more aggressive on turn 2 after the green, gone in the grass and made the pass stick. I don't think he'd have been able to get back around me.  I see now, in the video, I was losing time every lap in the banked tarmac right hander with a poor line. I'm not sure why I didn't realize it in the race. GoPro lense is dirty and the video cuts off before the last few laps, where I had a few more pass attempts.  But I guess it's better than nothing. 

Leh Keen, a relatively big name driver and Porsche builder, is out here today with one of his safari builds and a few Porsche friends.  Last time he was here, he was absolutely launching it off the jump 🤙

the Saturday race tore up the normal course so bad that the Firm was forced to send us through the woods for the first time in over 2 years!  We've missed it!

The 914 came with some pretty homemade looking door cards.  The PO used some foam padding behind the vinyl that's about twice as thick as would look normal, so when I saw reproduction factory cards for about $200, I jumped on em.  Another $20 ish on eBay got me some "rs style" door pulls and now the interior looks much improved. 

I am pretty bummed I missed this one.  I got the 3 series back together today after it being apart for the last month.  I probably could have finished a day early if I knew about the course change.

Any idea where all the stage rally people were?  They usually use this event as a sandblast tuneup.  Live timing suggested a small field.

In reply to ojannen :

The field was tiny!  I was the only sxs.  Very strange after a field of 15 or so sxs at the last one.  I feel like the Firm has been getting lazy about promoting these events.  I didn't even realize there was one Sunday until a couple weeks prior. The full season schedule has not even been posted. 🤷‍♂️

Some pics from the pro photographer at the CORS race

Those door cards are miles better. 

AxeHealey said:

Those door cards are miles better. 

Totally agree. They look fantastic!

Erin and I went to Las Vegas last weekend for a combo anniversary trip/watch some racin!  I stopped by Renegade Hybrids on Friday to check out their operation and chat with the guys who are building some of my 914 swap components.  Pretty cool little shop they have there and both of the cars currently taking up lifts were 914s with Testarossa body kits LOL!  and they're not owned by the same person.   We visited the Hoover Dam, Shelby museum, watched the Nitrocross season finale and also caught the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Speedway.  It was quite an action-packed 3 day weekend.

Did another wheel-to-wheel sxs race over the weekend.  This one was "Battle at  the Bullring" again - the small dirt oval with some infield turns and jumps.  I bolted up some rally tires and these were the hot ticket!  I started the heat race 5th out of 7 (I think) and was able to work my way to 1st place before the end of the heat.  That put me in 1st for the start of the main.  I jumped out to a nice lead and just had to drive it home clean, but, nope, I spun it into some tires all on my own.   I had to go to the back of the pack.  I was able to fight my way to 2nd.  I was right next ot the winner at the finish, but a few feet short.  I had the win in the bag, but blew it!🤦‍♂️🤬

so sick! Need to get back out there and join you!

surfshibby07 said:

so sick! Need to get back out there and join you!

Heck ya dude!  The options for racing them has grown a lot lately around us.