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MrChaos
MrChaos GRM+ Memberand Dork
10/24/19 7:08 p.m.

its also fairly simple to lower most trucks like 4 inches up front and 6 inches in the rear before you get into c notch territory.  Older 2wd trucks before manufacturers went to 4x4 and 2wd trucks being the same height

Papabear
Papabear New Reader
10/25/19 8:07 a.m.

In reply to ProDarwin :

I auto crossed a stock 2000 Ford Lightning. One of the other guys then brought out his 94 1st Gen Lightning. Both were legal in stock form. 

81cpcamaro
81cpcamaro Dork
10/25/19 8:59 a.m.

I autocrossed a 2000 Dakota R/T ext cab, was fun to drive but was a bit long (130" wheelbase). Standard cab would be a riot. Plus the 6-lug Dakotas have the same bolt pattern as a Viper, some interesting possibilities there. Front Viper wheels fit, rears require surgery.

Driven5
Driven5 UltraDork
10/25/19 9:42 a.m.

I like the idea of sport trucks, but whenever I go down that particular mental rabbit hole I always seem to end up in pretty much the same place: Something like a standard cab short bed S10 with a carefully designed 'cage' in the cab, and front/rear tubular subframes, that will eliminate the ladder frame, add IRS and improved suspension geometry, move the (LS) engine back in the engine bay...Oh yeah, and remove 12 or so inches from the forward portion of the bed to correspondingly shorten the wheelbase.

Kreb
Kreb GRM+ Memberand UberDork
10/25/19 9:45 a.m.

Seems like if you want to be competitive you'd want to start with something small like a Chevy Luv or an old VW Caddy pickup. You can always teach a pig to dance, but why not start with a skinny pig?  

PMRacing
PMRacing GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
10/25/19 9:51 a.m.

I did my first auto-x and track days in a 1994 2wd Toyota Pickup. By the last track day it was lowered, had anti-roll bars, dryer duct front brake cooling, and Hoosiers.  I was laughed at at a mid-ohio PCA event until I was one of the fastest in the run group. 

wvumtnbkr
wvumtnbkr GRM+ Memberand UberDork
10/25/19 10:14 a.m.

Can't you just run an ls4 with a getrag trans on the stock impala subframe and just weld it between the framerails?

 

Seems like the easy button for ls power in the back of a pickup.

MrChaos
MrChaos GRM+ Memberand Dork
10/25/19 11:40 a.m.
wvumtnbkr said:

Can't you just run an ls4 with a getrag trans on the stock impala subframe and just weld it between the framerails?

 

Seems like the easy button for ls power in the back of a pickup.

I would rather go K or J powered at that point

z31maniac
z31maniac MegaDork
10/25/19 11:49 a.m.

In reply to MrChaos :

That would be interesting and much easier in something like an S10. Built K swap with a supercharger or turbo. 

pinchvalve
pinchvalve GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
10/25/19 12:02 p.m.

I drive past a ZQ GMC truck on the way to work, languishing behind a repair shop. I came across this photo in my archives the other night and it made me want to rescue that truck and drop in an LS.

 

Boost_Crazy
Boost_Crazy HalfDork
10/26/19 12:01 a.m.

I love this truck...

Miata everything swapped Datsun

dxman92
dxman92 HalfDork
10/26/19 12:24 a.m.

I always ponder how entertaining a Taco sport version (the lowered ex. Cab) I can't think of the name would be as a track truck..

MrChaos
MrChaos GRM+ Memberand Dork
10/26/19 6:22 a.m.
dxman92 said:

I always ponder how entertaining a Taco sport version (the lowered ex. Cab) I can't think of the name would be as a track truck..

X-Runner

ProDarwin
ProDarwin UltimaDork
10/26/19 7:55 a.m.
Boost_Crazy said:

I love this truck...

Miata everything swapped Datsun

 

Want want want want want

Knurled.
Knurled. GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
10/26/19 8:13 a.m.
PMRacing said:

I did my first auto-x and track days in a 1994 2wd Toyota Pickup. By the last track day it was lowered, had anti-roll bars, dryer duct front brake cooling, and Hoosiers.  I was laughed at at a mid-ohio PCA event until I was one of the fastest in the run group. 

I seem to remember when people used to road race pickups in some sort of stockish-prep class, because 4 cylinder manual trans minitrucks were fairly cheap, and everyone made one.  There were allowances made to even up the field like Nissans could run these heads, Fords could run those heads, and so forth.

 

 

(Green flag drops around the 12 minute mark)

 

I also seem to recall these trucks wound up getting their own Improved Touring class as they aged out.

MrChaos
MrChaos GRM+ Memberand Dork
10/26/19 8:20 a.m.

Ranger50
Ranger50 UltimaDork
10/26/19 8:36 a.m.
ProDarwin said:
Boost_Crazy said:

I love this truck...

Miata everything swapped Datsun

 

Want want want want want

That gives me horrible ideas... wonder when I can start on it....

Vigo
Vigo MegaDork
10/26/19 8:56 a.m.

I've always liked the X Runner and I remember when it came out Toyota claimed they were using the (then newish) 350Z as their handling benchmark. I always enjoyed that factoid.

kb58
kb58 SuperDork
10/27/19 11:13 a.m.

At a Goodguys event was something resembling a "farm truck", sort of a tired looking beater with a camper shell. The key to its handling was that he'd built it in reverse, starting with a Corvette and basically putting the truck body over it. It really cleaned up at the autocross, tiny as it was. The owner said that he looks forward to doing a trackday event.

Cooter
Cooter UltraDork
10/27/19 11:42 a.m.

In reply to kb58 :

That's a Blazer.  With the factory hardtop.

A clean 2wd first gen Blazer is worth as much as a Corvette.

Carbon
Carbon UltraDork
10/27/19 4:30 p.m.
Vigo said:

I've always liked the X Runner and I remember when it came out Toyota claimed they were using the (then newish) 350Z as their handling benchmark. I always enjoyed that factoid.

Started as nissan higher up ball busting toyota higher up at a saki bar is the story I was told. Nissan guy say “how come you guys don’t build any real sportscars?” “What like a 350z? We could beat that thing with a pickup truck.” Yadda yadda.... x runner. 

 

Hope its true. Like stories like that. 

kazoospec
kazoospec UltraDork
10/27/19 4:45 p.m.

This guy used to race with my club.  

Caged, SBC, fuel cell, etc.  It was never super fast because it just wouldn't put the power down, but nobody out there seemed to be having more fun than him.  Found a mini "build thread" here: autox minitruck

Woody
Woody GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
10/27/19 4:58 p.m.

I'd like to build an autocrosser out of one of these:

Carbon
Carbon UltraDork
10/27/19 6:27 p.m.
Woody said:

I'd like to build an autocrosser out of one of these:

2rzs love boost. 

Carbon
Carbon UltraDork
10/27/19 6:31 p.m.

Too low but you get the picture. Iirc 4wd fenders are widebody

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