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ansonivan
ansonivan HalfDork
1/26/11 9:23 a.m.

I love the idea of spec Camry and have a few more rules:

  • cars must be beige or gold.
  • cars must carry a child seat and/or surfeit of pet accessories
  • cars must contain two or more engines

92CelicaHalfTrac
92CelicaHalfTrac SuperDork
1/26/11 9:24 a.m.
ansonivan wrote: I love the idea of spec Camry and have a few more rules: - cars must be beige or gold. - cars must carry a child seat and/or surfeit of pet accessories - cars must contain two or more engines

In for video of a Camry w/ two Camry V6s stuffed into it.

You know.... with the proposed change to the ST rules, i bet a 2dr manual camry wouldn't do all that badly in 2012.

Donebrokeit
Donebrokeit New Reader
1/26/11 9:36 a.m.

Spec rio sounds like a lot more fun.

And I thought it was just me that found all the slow gold Camry in the world.
Paul B

Raze
Raze Dork
1/26/11 9:37 a.m.
DukeOfUndersteer wrote: I keep finding Rios with blown motors for $1000... cant be that much to swap a new one in and start building a car

I will personally help you with this if you are serious

DukeOfUndersteer
DukeOfUndersteer SuperDork
1/26/11 9:48 a.m.
Raze wrote:
DukeOfUndersteer wrote: I keep finding Rios with blown motors for $1000... cant be that much to swap a new one in and start building a car
I will personally help you with this if you are serious

once im done building my next racecar, ill be jumping on a Rio

4cylndrfury
4cylndrfury SuperDork
1/26/11 11:29 a.m.

I like it except why not AE101 Corollas? that way you can get your hands on a lighterweight vehicle that also came from the factory with proper gearboxes. If you can drive with momentum, they are a blast! I loved mine and honestly its been my favorite car Ive owned (in fairness, thats only out of 4).

Duke
Duke SuperDork
1/26/11 11:48 a.m.
ddavidv wrote: Why do people constantly try to reinvent the wheel? Spec E30 and Spec 3 await all of you would-be racers with cars you'll actually enjoy driving, and have real, live aftermarket support.

Show me a Spec E30 you could get on track for $2000 including purchase of the car. More entertaining? Sure. 4x-5x the buy-in? Sure.

92CelicaHalfTrac
92CelicaHalfTrac SuperDork
1/26/11 11:55 a.m.
Duke wrote:
ddavidv wrote: Why do people constantly try to reinvent the wheel? Spec E30 and Spec 3 await all of you would-be racers with cars you'll actually enjoy driving, and have real, live aftermarket support.
Show me a Spec E30 you could get on track for $2000 including purchase of the car. More entertaining? Sure. 4x-5x the buy-in? Sure.

Camrys have WAY more aftermarket support than you'd expect.

But besides that, i don't care what car i'm in... i'd have a BLAST hooning it around a track. Or cones. Or a field. Whatever.

Hooning is fun, who cares what car it is?

bluej
bluej HalfDork
1/26/11 12:19 p.m.
DukeOfUndersteer wrote: I keep finding Rios with blown motors for $1000... cant be that much to swap a new one in and start building a car

I would support this if it were called SDR for "Spec DiarRio"

DukeOfUndersteer
DukeOfUndersteer SuperDork
1/26/11 12:23 p.m.
bluej wrote:
DukeOfUndersteer wrote: I keep finding Rios with blown motors for $1000... cant be that much to swap a new one in and start building a car
I would support this if it were called SDR for "Spec DiarRio"

"you E36 M3 yourself in the turns..."

Vigo
Vigo Dork
1/26/11 1:28 p.m.
The problem with that is that late 90's Camrys and beyond are terrible terrible vehicles. I think the series could potentially be too dangerous to be worth it as well, considering the risk of the drivers losing their souls or their will to live after spending that much time behind the wheel of a modern toyota sedan.

Heaven forbid they drive anything domestic from the era, then.

You know, for the same price (and DEFINITELY minus the turbo) you could have a spec 4th gen maxima class that would actually be fast.

Twin_Cam
Twin_Cam SuperDork
1/26/11 4:07 p.m.
ShadowSix wrote: Why would anyone, ever race an automatic? Oh, wait. People w/ limb disabilities. Sorry.

There was a guy who used to run in the Philly region they nicknamed "Slushbox Tom" who had a mid-'90s, auto, 4-cylinder Grand Am, with only a set of sticky Hooisers. Ran in G Stock, before they moved that car to HS.

Pretty sure he was in the top 5 in PAX every event. Maybe top 10.

As for Spec Camry, I would totally do that. Boring cars make for the best race cars. Or maybe just I think that, after years of racing Saturns.

4Msfam
4Msfam New Reader
1/26/11 7:03 p.m.

You laugh, but this is really what I'm set to do... after searching for e30's for under $1000 for my soon to be driving daughter... my dad offered up his '93 "Champane" Camry, with autotragic of course. I really didn't want it for her, as I had dreams of Tommy's highschool e30... but it started to make sense.

Low miles, minimal work needed. Just... boring. I was wondering if all the stuff that Per did for the GRM Celica would work... (GT struts front, convertible ones in rear) with some slightly stiffer, shorter springs. Celica swaybars? Would that be the '94's that would work? 15" XXR's with wider rubber... done!

Take her autocrossing and a driverschool or two.

Slightly Yo Vtech.. but autocrosses his Camry

Ultimate sleeper?

ddavidv
ddavidv SuperDork
1/27/11 5:34 a.m.
Duke wrote: Show me a Spec E30 you could get on track for $2000 including purchase of the car. More entertaining? Sure. 4x-5x the buy-in? Sure.

Show me ANY car you can get on track for road racing for $2000 other than a go kart. It can't be done. Unless you plan on leaving the flaccid worn-out suspension and running on Pep Boyz tires. My E30 was a $1000 donor. Doing all the work at home (including the weld-in cage kit) and using typical GRM style shopping it still cost over $8000 to properly prepare. Methinks you haven't built an actual race car before. Even a free car will cost thousands to prepare. We're not talking LeMons racing.

92CelicaHalfTrac
92CelicaHalfTrac SuperDork
1/27/11 8:47 a.m.
4Msfam wrote: You laugh, but this is really what I'm set to do... after searching for e30's for under $1000 for my soon to be driving daughter... my dad offered up his '93 "Champane" Camry, with autotragic of course. I really didn't want it for her, as I had dreams of Tommy's highschool e30... but it started to make sense. Low miles, minimal work needed. Just... boring. I was wondering if all the stuff that Per did for the GRM Celica would work... (GT struts front, convertible ones in rear) with some slightly stiffer, shorter springs. Celica swaybars? Would that be the '94's that would work? 15" XXR's with wider rubber... done! Take her autocrossing and a driverschool or two. Slightly Yo Vtech.. but autocrosses his Camry Ultimate sleeper?

You don't have to bother figuring out what Celica stuff fits and what doesn't. There's aftermarket FOR the Camry in all that stuff.

And yes, i approve of your idea. Just make sure that you destroy the auto asap so you have an excuse to swap to manual.

Scott Lear
Scott Lear Production Editor
1/27/11 8:52 a.m.

Late 1990s Camrys are engineering marvels. They don't need to be fun. The enjoyment comes from the fact that they are unkillable, comfortable and as trustworthy as Lassie. If zombies attack, learn how to hotwire Camrys and you'll never get caught.

93EXCivic
93EXCivic SuperDork
1/27/11 8:53 a.m.
Scott Lear wrote: Late 1990s Camrys are engineering marvels. They don't need to be fun. The enjoyment comes from the fact that they are unkillable, comfortable and as trustworthy as Lassie. If zombies attack, learn how to hotwire Camrys and you'll never get caught.

But if I had to drive a Camry, I think I would rather be a zombie.

DukeOfUndersteer
DukeOfUndersteer SuperDork
1/27/11 9:01 a.m.
Raze wrote:
DukeOfUndersteer wrote: I keep finding Rios with blown motors for $1000... cant be that much to swap a new one in and start building a car
I will personally help you with this if you are serious

2001 Kia Rio - $350

2001 Kia Rio, Bad motor but good body and interior. No dents or fading on body. Tires and mechanically good except for motor. Call 7706167876 after 6:00pm. leave message if no answer or email for more info.

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/cto/2182694526.html

Vigo
Vigo Dork
1/27/11 4:52 p.m.
Slightly Yo Vtech.. but autocrosses his Camry Ultimate sleeper?

I really like that car.

Also, that gen of Camry with v6 is my favorite camry of all, even including the current 14sec cars.

And for many years there's been vid on the intarw3b of a v6 in that body style thats been turboed up to ~500whp.

DaveEstey
DaveEstey HalfDork
1/27/11 5:23 p.m.

I started thinking Spec Camry racing but beiged out before I could form anything coherent.

Duke
Duke SuperDork
1/27/11 8:33 p.m.
ddavidv wrote: We're not talking LeMons racing.

Aren't we? It sure seemed to me like the plan was to use up a whole lot of the infinite supply of 10-15 year old Retirement Gold Camries that's readily available.

AquaHusky
AquaHusky Reader
1/27/11 9:21 p.m.

Doesn't NASCAR already have a "Spec Camry"?

JohnW
JohnW Reader
1/27/11 9:26 p.m.

I actually really like the idea of Spec Camry. At least in terms of humor, it carves out a niche somewhere between Spec-e30 and 24 hrs. of lemons.

Claff
Claff Reader
1/27/11 9:49 p.m.

Spec stinks. Open it up to any generic midsize slushy family sedan and see what happens.

Dusterbd13
Dusterbd13 Reader
1/28/11 10:40 a.m.

you guys make me feel better about being me. its nice to know im not the only completely bent individual that thinks anything can be cool with the proper application of moar power and stick.

Michael

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