The Kumho $2102 Challenge, powered by eBay is just a week away now. Looking forward to seeing all our old friends and hopefully making a few new ones. Entrants keep coming in. The initial forecast looks pretty good. No wonderful cool front yet, but no tropical storms either.
We are going to add another new twist to the story this year (theoretically anyway). You see we bought a $500 Miata on this board a few weeks ago and are going to try and get it running tomorrow night. Yeah, the yellow one with the huge rat's nest under the hood. If that goes well, we are going to enter our own event and put the Miata through its paces. I think it might make an interesting perspective to see how a bone stock $500 Miata would fair at the Challenge. Naturally, we will run for exhibition only. And we won't do very well.
We are going to show exactly how bad this typical $500 car looked when we bought it, because we want to write a series of articles to show people how your Challenge cars looked when you started. I get so tired of people not believing in this event, because they only see how the cars ended up, not what we all start with.
Anyway, starting to ramble. Should be a great weekend and we have some more surprises planned. Remember, it is free to spectate and we welcome everyone.
Awesome idea. I won't be able to attend, but always look forward to the coverage.
I think I'll be dead by the $2102 challenge. 
4cylndrfury, Glad you like the idea. David Wallens, our editor, liked it right way as well and volunteered to run the car. Gives him a chance to see the event more like a competitor would. We willhave to be impartial when it comes to concours judging, but we are not going to work real hard to make it pretty. Not enough time.
SyntheticBlinkerFluid... Man up! We do these thrashes all the time, not just once a year. Just got a car ready to run at Lime Rock three weeks ago and now getting a car ready for this event with one week notice. We can all rest plenty when we are dead.
I really hope next year works out, it definitely should since the only thing holding me back this year was money.
I just got in from testing out the MX-3... So far so good! I've been workin on it til midnight everynight after work to make sure everythings running well. Considering I get up for work at 4:30am and go to bed after 1am, I hope you all know I'm how excited to attend this event. We could come in dead last, and still be thrilled! Tim, Margie, Alan, and everyone else behind the scenes thank you for hosting a really awesome event, the Full Spectrum Motorsports team looks forward to meeting you all there so be sure to say hello to us if ya see that neat lookin MX-3 :-)
Just got home from installing my 1" rear sway bar. The handling aspect is looking way brighter.
92CelicaHalfTrac wrote:
Just got home from installing my 1" rear sway bar. The handling aspect is looking way brighter.
be careful there. Bars of that diameter sometimes cause damage. Keep an eye out down there.
Addco DID discontinue this bar, but because they tend to be oversteery, not because they rip out like a huge front bar on a Miata. 
Yea, oversteer is better than ripping holes. This will be noted.
If you bought it from Midnight be aware that those rats like to eat wires. (I think it may actually be squirrels because my nest in the Swift I bought was filled with nuts)
Mr. Joshua,
Yes, we bought the Miata from Midnight and the rats ate the plug wires, but little else.
As for anti roll bars being so large that they rip out the chassis, with high quality steeds like Challenge cars, that would be nearly impossible.
I was so excited about it. I was thinking the Challenge was this weekend until Monday when I was told I was an idiot.
Love the Miata idea! I've been saying for years you guys should enter a car into the Challenge. Obviously for "exhibition" only, but I mean aren't most of us just doing this because we are exhibitionists?...wait that sounded bad...you know what I mean.
I'm geekin' out! Can't wait to get on the road. We are going to be thrashing all weekend to get this Jeep 100% ready for the Challenge!
jeep racecars make my pants tight
Tim Suddard wrote:
As for anti roll bars being so large that they rip out the chassis, with high quality steeds like Challenge cars, that would be nearly impossible.
In that case, check out the anti roll bar I just bought for the Zx2. Some parts fabrication may be necessary.
4cylndrfury wrote:
jeep racecars make my pants tight
Do I want to know what turbocharged jeep racecars do to you?
I can't wait to get down there. 
I've been counting the days since leaving the Best Western parking lot in $2010 to head back up to our homes in MA. I will be back with the Jeep crew (WiblerM3, Miatame, and Pseudosport, as well as 2 non-GRM board members) and I can't wait to have a good time with the rest of ya.
I really like the idea of you guys actually entering the event, especially with a Miata (I mean, what else would you run?). It should be fun!
Tim, I was at the Factory Five meet with my wife when you guys came up this way, as well as at previous Challenge events. You guys truly are a class act, and put on a great event and a great time. I look forward to chatting with you and the rest of the GRM crew again!
In reply to Tim Suddard:
Wish I was attending, but sadly I'm not. I'll be in the area around Christmas, so maybe I can stop by and say "Hey!". Hope everyone has a good time.
Tim Suddard wrote:
Man up! We do these thrashes all the time, not just once a year. Just got a car ready to run at Lime Rock three weeks ago and now getting a car ready for this event with one week notice. We can all rest plenty when we are dead.
Uhg, your telling me and I don't even have a girlfriend right now. It would help a lot if I had my own garage where I could tinker at will, rather than having to drive 30 minutes each way to get to the racecar and then devote a good chunk of time to it.
Anywho, good luck to all of the challengers!
Looking forward to seeing the Miata. Great idea.
Here is what our car looked like when we started, and after. The driver side had the collision damage, so this is the good side.
[These photos have been removed because they are hosted on a server known for hosting malware. Please host your photos somewhere else. -GRM]
HiTempguy wrote:
Tim Suddard wrote:
Man up! We do these thrashes all the time, not just once a year. Just got a car ready to run at Lime Rock three weeks ago and now getting a car ready for this event with one week notice. We can all rest plenty when we are dead.
Uhg, your telling me and I don't even have a girlfriend right now. It would help a lot if I had my own garage where I could tinker at will, rather than having to drive 30 minutes each way to get to the racecar and then devote a good chunk of time to it.
Anywho, good luck to all of the challengers!
Ditto, except a fiance, and the Challenge car, a race car, and a Jeep that needs the entire suspension replaced. ARG.
We got a lot done on the Miata last night. Not in bad shape overall. We got a bunch of parts and will hit it again tomorrow. I am sure Alan, Tommy and/or David will chime in shortly, as they were there and shot a bunch of pictures. it is possible we will have it ready to Challenge next weekend.
