Beaters and Daily Drivers

My $600 beater/DD.

Got it for $600, got new brake pads (EBC Green), new tires (hankook Ventus RS2) and some custom strut tower bracing.

None too shabby. Being taken away from DD duty in the next month to build.

i remember that honda, it was on the old boards or whatever, that thing looked like a blast.
i plan on putting another 1.6 liter in there, but i dont know if the black top 4age would mate to the transmission. i know 4afes are pretty much ge's except fe's have a narrow angle head and a weaker crank. but all thats for when i get a new toy to drive.

Tommy Suddard wrote: School bus 229. sigh Age limits on licenses are bad.

When you're older, it makes a lot more sense.

At 16, I thought it was cruel and unusual to have to WAIT til 17 (in the states where it wasn't 16).

At 36, I'm horrified that text-message-obsessed 16-17 year olds are able to operate a motor vehicle.

Perspective is a funny thing sometimes.

93celicaGT2 wrote: My $600 beater/DD. Got it for $600, got new brake pads (EBC Green), new tires (hankook Ventus RS2) and some custom strut tower bracing. None too shabby. Being taken away from DD duty in the next month to build.

My favorite version of the Celica hands down. An old manager of mine had a 90 with 260k miles on it and he still used it as his daily driver!

My DD.

The more I drive it the less it seems to need to be fixed. I got it with the intention to only use it for track days but it morphed in to my full time ride. It is just to much fun to let sit.

Since the body is all galvanized steel rust has not been an issue. I have been driving it all year round. With snow tires at all four corners it is a surprisingly competent and fun winter car.

gamby wrote:

Tommy Suddard wrote: School bus 229. sigh Age limits on licenses are bad.

When you're older, it makes a lot more sense. At 16, I thought it was cruel and unusual to have to WAIT til 17 (in the states where it wasn't 16). At 36, I'm horrified that text-message-obsessed 16-17 year olds are able to operate a motor vehicle. Perspective is a funny thing sometimes.

its, funny, i am 20 and i share those sentiments exactly.... i wonder if i'm mature (NO) or just eccentric? i wasn't all that excited to get my license, i didn't have an understanding or love of cars and driving, and when i first got behind the wheel i was really scared. but then again, i'm still scared of driving now.

dean1484 wrote: My DD. The more I drive it the less it seems to need to be fixed. I got it with the intention to only use it for track days but it morphed in to my full time ride. It is just to much fun to let sit. Since the body is all galvanized steel rust has not been an issue. I have been driving it all year round. With snow tires at all four corners it is a surprisingly competent and fun winter car.

one of my favorate platforms, on my favorate driving surface no less! i'm jealous because those are very fun in the snow, very user friendly! love it

Yep, it's my daily driver, year round. In fact it's my only car here in Europe. I don't even have a tow rig to rescue myself with.

That said it's probably one of the more reliable older Lotuses, with the Isuzu powertrain and all the GM parts they used. Still has that British sports-car "character" though (and yes, there is Lucas everywhere under the dash.)

Which reminds me I've still got to get the heater working. Slowly encroaching winter + Berlin + no heat = no fun.

J

those were FWD, right? I always kinda liked them. Never could find one that looked clean enough online to go look at in person, though.

Neat, oddball car. I still remember the Road and Track where it as a cover car w/ the Miata and they did a big camparo between them.

The styling held up, IMHO.

Ya, I like it. FWD and all. The fact that it's a bit of a red-headed step child means you can get a decent one reasonably cheap (in Britain anyway, which is where I bought it; not so much elsewhere) and the parts binning is a good thing for us DIYers. Also it's just as fun as a Miata and people who don't know a lot about it think it's some super-exotic.

That said, still very much an LBC. The top merely suggests that rain stay out if it feels like, and this morning an unidentified relay fell out of the dash onto my foot while driving. Just its way of telling me that all is right in the world.

J

My time is split between my VW Jetta, about to be shelved for mileage vs. lease reasons, and my 84 300D:

And then on Fri/Sat/Sun and on evenings I drive the BGT:

I like the carsposted here, that 924 is sweet, especially with the phone dials.

I like those rally lights on the BGT. Do you have more pics?

J

a friend of mine recently got a 91 Elan M100.

same color as yours, but LHD.

Any thoughts on setting one up for autocross? (yeah, hes stuck in ASP from the factory )

he is having trouble with a leaky convertable top as well (gaps at the front of the top)

as far as me, my DD is a '86 325e 4door auto E30. i need to paint it soon, but its getting me to school without trouble.

Jay wrote: That said, still very much an LBC. The top merely suggests that rain stay out if it feels like, and this morning an unidentified relay fell out of the dash onto my foot while driving. Just its way of telling me that all is right in the world. J

Oh yeah. That's called character. I wouldn't mind having an M100, except for the FWD thing. FWD and I do not see eye to eye.

mattmacklind wrote: I like the carsposted here, that 924 is sweet, especially with the phone dials.

I have a set of db's with 225's BFG's that look absolutely great and a set of 928 trash can tops with 205's. The car looks much meaner with the 225's but is probably the most civil on the track with the 205's the 225's seem to stick a little better but you get no warning when all E36 M3 is about to brake loose. The phone dials are my DD tires. I now have a set of BFG's gnarly winter / street tires that are great in the rain and snow. Next year I am going to get a set of Toyo's for the db's and I still have decided what to put on the 928 rims.

An old photo of the db's

Other things in the car. Iboc springs in the frount (1.5" drop). Koni yellows at all corners. Weltmister sway bars front and rear. Weltmister torque bars (like springs but different for the rear) and I lowered it to match the ride height of the front (serious PITA). Custom short shifter (welded up by me not the store purchases ones.). Custom shift lever and knob (welded up and fitted by me). Accusump. VDO pro comp tack. Custom gauges. AC delete. The motor came from Rensport (started as an 83 with forged internals and was worked over from there) Balanced and blueprinted but basically stock. Cam is from an 89 2.5l. Recaro seats. Autopower bar (Needs Belt bar welded in.). RJ belts (I need new ones). Custom paint (dodge truck green). Dino Wheel (going back to stock as it blocks the gadges and the smaller dino makes high speed driving a bit twichey).

There are a lot of other little things but those are most of the notable changes made to it. Driving it is like strapping your self into/on a big skate board. I have put it together to handle and I am very pleased with the results.

Ohya the brakes are stock. By detailing the caliper brackets (with a 3 inch grinder) to ensure that they slide free and the addition was Cool Carbon pads it will stop better than about any car I have driven. I have one more set of Cool carbons left. When they are gone I think I will try Porter-field's

The only "problem" I have is that there is very little difference in feel between 60 and 100 + mph. It is a bit unnearving to find your self going 85 in a 55. My latest addition has been a GPS that I can set an alarm to sound if I exceed 65 MPH. Keeps me from being stupid. The car seems to have a sweet spot that it like's to cruse at and it is about where you get arrested for driving to endanger.

For what it's worth, I agree with Tommy. I'd have been just as good a driver at 14 as I was at 16. What I lacked in skill and judgement then I made up for in fear - fear that any slide would lead to a crash that I couldn't afford to fix, fear that any foul would lead to a ticket that would cause my parents to have suspended driving privileges until about last Thursday, fear that being out after dark would be met by my father standing in the driveway...

I only got caught joyriding once - by my cross-country coach - less than 1/4 mile from home. I still haven't been found responsible for any traffic violation. I have had one accident on the road; it wasn't my fault. I got my learner's permit on September 29, 2001.

Dean1484, you're my new best friend. My girlfriend and I just picked up a track '88 924S (pics and writeup to come) and I tested it out at Mid-O last weekend. Stock suspension, stock engine, stripped with seats, bar and harnesses only. It was a blast! I've never driven a momentum car like that before.