Mazdeuce needs a project - for a project......

cmcgregor wrote: I'd like to see an article on building a challenge car. The threads here are great, but a polished, interesting article (or series) would really do a lot to demystify the whole process for potential newbies. And, you already have a captive audience!

I like this idea. I think the forum would be a good format for a "regular guy" build. No cages and motor swaps, but the process of cleaning and sorting and taking a $1000 car that's potentially headed to the junkyard and turn it around through brute labor and hand tools. Make it beautiful and quick and reliable and give it a new life. Now to find a car.........

Sky_Render wrote: I think a European V12 would be right up your alley. What about a BMW 8 series?

I have a strong interest in all things V12. I'm not a smart man.

If we got you a wrecked V8 Ford Explorer and a non running Maserati Biturbo (like there is any other kind) could you make one Challenge car?

I really want to see a Biturbo make it to The Challenge. In 17 years it has never been done.

mazdeuce wrote:

Sky_Render wrote: I think a European V12 would be right up your alley. What about a BMW 8 series?

I have a strong interest in all things V12. I'm not a smart man.

I can locate zero 850s near Houston.

Perhaps an Exocet?

mazdeuce wrote:

cmcgregor wrote: I'd like to see an article on building a challenge car. The threads here are great, but a polished, interesting article (or series) would really do a lot to demystify the whole process for potential newbies. And, you already have a captive audience!

I like this idea. I think the forum would be a good format for a "regular guy" build. No cages and motor swaps, but the process of cleaning and sorting and taking a $1000 car that's potentially headed to the junkyard and turn it around through brute labor and hand tools. Make it beautiful and quick and reliable and give it a new life. Now to find a car.........

This was the methods of the hail damaged Q45 that took 10th in $2015.

I have the right car/model for you. A complete Bastard car. The product of a joint venture where both parties now pretty much deny the car ever existed.

Imagine:
2 door coupe
215 hp stock
6 speed manual
Rear wheel drive
15.2 sec 1/4 mile stock
Large stock rubber

You are even better suited for this over me since you do not fear the engine in ways I would.

Real examples can be found towards Challenge prices. I almost had one with a dented B pillar that "totaled" the car.

Fresh tires for one of these is expensive enough to make an owner want to unload the car. This works great for The Challenge since tires are exempt.

Asking $3,499

Asking $1,600

Asking $3,400

What about a first gen neon acr clone for challenge and one lap? Ill buy the car and parts, but only if you co drive.....

I think for maximum forum interaction value, you want something old enough to have extremely limited information available so that everyone can get in on the thrill of hunting down parts and collecting knowledge- how about an old 2-stroke Saab, or a straight 8 Packard, or some weird communist car?

+1 on the Bi-Turbo Challenge car

I really like the idea of a Biturbo. I'm hard pressed to come up with a more feared/loathed car. Are they really that bad? Can a mere mortal get one running, and running well?

How about something British?

I think what resonates a lot with me about your projects (at least what I have read) was that what you are doing seems approachable and methodical without being out of reach.

To be honest when I start reading some build threads with some of these wizard fabricators as cool as it is its sort of "I could never do that"

and when following along with something that while challenging seems more doable is more fun, so if you do a challenge car build I think it would especially interesting if it was something that you could do using effort most "shade tree" mechanics have access too.

I think a biturbo is just fatally flawed from the design. Even getting one to run - it will break again and soon. Here's a challenge - a broken F360 - and megasquirt it to bypass the f-car ecu lockdown.

hmm - they actually don't look any more complex than the R - perhaps simpler...

cheap ferraris

$15k

Being in the St. Louis area, I believe I am on your path between TX and MI.

Would you be interested in making a challenge car out of an '86 MR2? I'd sell it much cheaper than I had it listed here for, if you're gonna entertain people by documenting the process.

I doubt you'd want to take on a camper, but I've got a '65 Airstream that life suddenly has me worrying about where I can park it, and I have nothing to tow it with these days. But it's been in the family nearly 50 years so I'm at a loss what to do.

-Hans

I vote Lada Niva (because I have always wanted one and its weird!)

mazdeuce wrote:

cmcgregor wrote: I'd like to see an article on building a challenge car. The threads here are great, but a polished, interesting article (or series) would really do a lot to demystify the whole process for potential newbies. And, you already have a captive audience!

I like this idea. I think the forum would be a good format for a "regular guy" build. No cages and motor swaps, but the process of cleaning and sorting and taking a $1000 car that's potentially headed to the junkyard and turn it around through brute labor and hand tools. Make it beautiful and quick and reliable and give it a new life. Now to find a car.........

I love the idea of "restoring" a $1,000 car. I enjoy the notion of taking cars on the brink of the junkyard back to a new life. I've always had grand thoughts of doing this myself, but my limited knowledge of mechanical know how gets in the way, I do still consider finding a car with some forgotten unloved paint and detailing it back to new to sell for small profits.

Mrs. Deuce has found this thread.
And she has an opinion!
She suggested a two prong approach. 1. I should opportunistically search for the right Ferrari. Be picky. Find one that's cheap and needs love (neglect, flood, engine problems) and drag it home. She is suggesting patience. She is smart.
2. Build a challenge car. She knows I've wanted to do the challenge for something like 16 years, but I've never made it happen. It could be an interesting project if I choose the base car correctly. Not looking to win, but rather create a clean functional car for $2k. My vision has a car with AC, a radio, reliable enough to drive to Florida from Houston, and safe enough to put my kids in. One Lap? Maybe, I'm still part of the Civic team for next year, but you never know. Anything with a title and potential is fair game.
This whole thing will also involve a bit of work to the Grosh to make photography better. The floor in the work bay will get painted, more drywall up and finished, and better lighting. So that's where I'm at. Challenge car, or a Ferrari. Or both? Then work at honing my craft as a story teller.

any build to do both the challenge and one lap!

In reply to JamesMcD:

Sending you a PM about Mister 2.

I have a Saab that could be a challenge car if you like old Swedish turbo cars.

Time to mix up the Genre. May I suggest a boat? An airplane? Scratch-built house?

My hero in the boat building genre is this guy building a 75 fool long steel hulled Chinese Junk.Starting with a bunch of flat steel plates. VERY Grassroots build.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnWkg-vZ2uQ

I think the old 308/328 is crying out for a small-block Chevy. There are really cheap ones out there, why not combine Italian design with Yankee reliability?

I'd like to see somebody get a Ferrari with body damage and make it look like a Fiero. Just throwing that out there.

A baller on a budget Ferrari revival of any sort would be a cool story though.

As a Mk. 1 MR2 owner, I would LOVE to see you do one!! AND the Ferrari.

mazdeuce wrote: I've had a strange request. This came at me both from the forums and even more in real life. People want me to write. They want to follow along with the stream of work style writing that I've somehow fallen into on the forum. I think I'm ready to give it a go. What I need is a project. My two big threads, the Grosh and the R63 have happened organically. Like most writers, I write about what I know. The hard part is to attempt to move to writing about something on purpose, and to that end I want to start with a clean slate instead of dragging Fergus back into the Grosh. I want to see if I have the creative chops to pull this off. So again, a project, a new one. There is literally no limit to what I'm considering other than it has to be suitable for the builds and projects forum. My brain is bouncing everywhere from a $400 Challenge car to a mid 90's Ferrari to a Flat front Freightliner as a car hauler. All I want is something that acts as a medium to create a story, and you guys are the kinds of enabling idiots that can help make that happen. If anyone has an idea, throw it out there. If anyone has a project that is sitting that they know they're not getting to but want to watch me attack, let me know. In the next couple of weeks I'll be travelling across the country from Texas to Michigan, so things roughly along that path are of particular interest. Think of this as a "what car to create a campfire story" thread, and send my your ideas.

Let me know if you want a beta reader/editor. I write books for a living (or part of my living) and I'd be happy to help out.