Car ideas that keep you up at night?

ShadowSix wrote:

EvanB wrote:

I'm glad to see I'm not the only person haunted by the specter of an NA Miata stage rally car. I know I can't afford to stage rally, I know I don't have near the time to compete in more than one or two rallies a year, I know that the only Miata around is so rusty it would likely rattle itself into powder from a season of rallycross, but I can't let go of the idea.

You boys aren't alone, i've also thought of it.

Keeping me up at night is finishing my never ending turbocharged tercel project..

A Europa with a VAG B5 FWD 1.8T and Miata based front and rear suspension.

My "Demon 666" idea: Slant 6 engine, 6 bbl. carbs (triple Webers or 6 ITB EFI), 6 spd trans.

On a more realistic vein... My E30 in good STX prep, my Dodge truck where everything works, and my crusty 1800ES with the rust repaired...

Like sanman says, one of these dieselized as a DD:

and also use it to tow either the Jensenator or a R1 Yamaha powered A Mod/ hillclimb car.

Why have you done this to me? Now I've gone and found a clean, running, 5.0-swapped 88 Turbo Coupe 15 minutes from me for $1400.

I'd really like the time and space to work over my VFR 800 VTEC where by the front plastic disappears along with the goofy dual radiators and is somehow cleanly transformed into a naked sports standard. Renthal bars, single big round headlight and a small bikini fairing. Small crash bars like what SW-Motech sells for Monsters and Speed Triples. Custom seat from Sargent that gets me their comfort with a return to stock seat height.

Only there's no real frame to tie crash bars to, there's more insanity with the wiring and cooling system than I want to think about, and getting rid of the structure for the dash and headlight / front body support isn't going to be at all fun or pretty. So it seems impossible.

This has haunted me for 20 years!

Spitsix wrote: This has haunted me for 20 years!

A RHD mini-Batmobile?

sanman wrote: MGB GT with fender flares and a full miata drivetrain for a DD

This but with a SR20DET or maybe even a small block Ford.

1. Tube-framing my 69 Midget with 4age 20v and turbo/MSEFI

2. 65 Lincoln Continental Convertible with powerstroke

3. Whatever pops in tonight. (the middie mustang fastback has me thinking though)

Oh, and I've actually thought that I could mid-engine the MG without much more trouble than I've already gone to with the 4age 20v and an fwd trans. That might not have been done before.

Making an El Camino into a wicked motorcycle hauler. Ideally with something fun under the hood and a Mexican blanket on the bench seat.

ive got a few

1. 32 ford pickup, full on traditional with a 392 hemi, blower, and 8 strombergs. zommies, too.
2. 81 camaro Z28. yellow, with an LS powerplant, 13 inch brakes on all 4 corners, stiif suspension, comfy interior, and paddle shifted 4l60e
3. 75 firebird formula 400, yellow, about the same as the z28 ony with a efi'd 455
4. track t roadster, 3500 GM v6, 5 speed
5. 89 trans am. black on black on black. l98 from a vette, auto, suspension and brake upgrades. daily.
6. 99 subaru legacy 2.5 gt, wrx sti swap, bunch of suspension mods, black on black
7. 64 el camino. TBI 5.7 vortec, 4l60e with paddle shifters, power everything, AC, C5 vette front clip, 3 link rear, c5 z06 wheels (black), satin black and chrome with a red interior.

these are the current late night craigslist searches

A RHD mini-Batmobile?

In Reply to Junkyard_Dog - I'm glad Mazda copied another thing from the British ( well except it dosen't leak oil, catch on fire, rust like crazy, etc...)

sanman wrote: MGB GT with fender flares and a full miata drivetrain for a DD

I too have thought this. Something like an MGB GT or an Opel GT sitting on a Miata chassis so you get the Miata suspension, brakes and AC for a DD. And naturally it would have to involve box flares.
All driving advantages of the Miata with vintage coolness looks.

Also thought that the VTEC mod that has been done to original Minis would work better with the slightly bigger Austin America. With an American flag painted on the roof like is done with the British flag.

My 4Runner with a turbo diesel and 5 speed, and a Lancia Delta Integrale.

Slant Six powered Lotus 11. Preferably with the aluminum 225, and a row of side-draft throttle bodies ... The 4-barrel through the hood might be distracting.

Dad's old '62 Unibody (like the one below, but light blue/white) with a Ford Big Six, 5-speed, IFS, big brakes, air conditioned, and Rhino-lined. Not lowered (much), not shortened - keep it a work truck.

Does anyone do five-on-a-tree?

Turning my dually Ram 3500 into a twin turbo dedicated drag car. K24/K20 powered locost Hoping and praying that Mazda puts the sky-d drivetrain into the ND miata

V8 TR-6

1. Midengine locost with Elva Mk7 bodywork from Curtis Unlimited. Miata suspension bits, possibly bike engined; R1, 'busa, etc.

2. Hawk HF3000 Stratos replica with Alfa 164 V6

3. Street legal Chevron B16 Replica with a Duratec 2L and AC.

4. Regular Locost, miata drivetrain.

5. Honda B series engine into my X1/9

1. Figuring out how to stuff a 6.0L LS in my Boxster (Renegade Hybrids is working on it...)

2. Building a mid-engine tube chassis to use Boxster suspension and that same 6.0L LS motor, and sticking it under my 72 VW Super Beetle's body.

3. Lotus Esprit with Honda S2000 engine and a supercharger

4. Early 50's Dodge pickup (non-Power Wagon) with Jeep 4,0L inline 6, 5-speed manual, tall/skinny tires on steel wheels and 4WD

5. Battleship gray VW Vanagon pickup (they had them in other markets) with a TDI to use as a shop truck

6. 91 Jetta with TDI swap, Shine Racing real street suspension and some good, used Recaros

Redesigning the 4-4-2 McSorley Locost chassis to accomodate a FWD power train in the rear so it will have enough storage to be a useful daily driver.

Looking at Berin buggy and instead of VW power train cram in a Subie engine AND transmission.

Ford Ranger Baja Pre-Runner truck. (I live in Tennessee)

A 4 seat Locost

A 3 seat Ariel Atom style kit (I have 2 boys)

A motorcycle engine powerd 4 seat hyper-mile car

BMW diesel powered Jeep wrangler unlimitied (the YJ version)

Honorable mention:

subie marinization kit Canard style airplane

FlightService wrote: A 3 seat Ariel Atom style kit (I have 2 boys)

Dunno if this will make your nights any easier, but the SDR V-Storm seems to fit the bill nicely.

1-Locost. With all my nissan/240sx parts laying around and a megasquirted ITB'd VQ30. 270whp++ and super light.

2- my 240sx finished, with a VQ3XDET, caged, brake'd, tire'd and painted sunburnt orange. drool. its coming

3- my Z31T finished, with a VG30ET, holset VGT, breaking motors because 600+Whp worth of boost. Running fast as hell 1/4s, with ac and going drifting when the 240 isnt running

4- geo metro with a VQ3X boosted FWD style mounted in the back. I want to do wheelies...lots of them

5-S30 Z with a RB30DE+TT thats a compound turbo setup like diesils, and it'd do 700-800whp and make power every where. (also full interior, modern wiring, etc etc, built to be a daily driver to take any where any time....)

6-I try to forget the rest. it doesn't happen, but focusing makes /\ those easier to start/finish/pay for....

~Alex

As odd as they sound, I wouldn't mind lowering a regular cab flareside Ford Ranger Splash but not quite low rider. Also, a 2wd four door first gen Geo Tracker/Suzuki Sidekick lowered with wide wheels and rubber..

Right now it is a small SUV as a DD so the Miata can become a project car.

Ongoing personal issues include the following- FFR 818, MK4 and Hot Rod A Bronco 2 with a small lift, 5.0 and painted in the brown and tan King Ranger colors. An air cool VW powered eco car. And my biggest car dream is to not have a mortgage so I will have more money to play with cars!