what to do with a free car

good evening gents,

first time "poster" and aspiring autoX racer. So heres my story, l attended a autoX event in the last couple years, and i got the racing bug. i helped a buddy clean out his garage recently, after a half day of manual labour my payment was a free 1997 chevy cavalier. its a base model 2.2l 5spd manual. free cars are never perfect and this one is no exception. (head gasket and brake lines) but i want the fix it and race it. what are your opinions of the car and racing potenial. should i race it or scrap it and save for some else?

I'm not a big fan of cavaliers, but there is nothing wrong with a free car, and anything at all can be raced at an autocross. Classing and PAX scores have a lot to do with winning, but winning has absolutely nothing to do with having fun, seat time, or learning.

Base model- good.

5spd- good.

I'd say go for it, and get some seat time in while you are saving for your next car.

Someone else can chime in on the competitive potential and the PAX scores.

Welcome aboard! Good luck!!

First off, Welcome!
What is your current daily driver? Could you autox that?

Free of course is good.

In reply to jrw1621:

my current daily driver is a 2002 hyundai santa fe awd, definetly not a race car.

If you get the chance, take it to a rallycross. Free cars make the best rallycrossers...

eastsidemav wrote: If you get the chance, take it to a rallycross. Free cars make the best rallycrossers...

Yes, because you need to drive it like you hate it.... and who can't hate a Cavalier!!!

Is it a wagon? Please say it's a wagon. We love wagons here. I say fix it and auto-x AND rallycross it. 2 set of wheels/tires and you're racing on the cheap

In reply to Marty! The quicker picker-upper....:

I don't think I've seen a Cav wagon since the 80s.

nota wagon a 2dr coupe, i would love to rallycross, i havent come across a club in southern ontario though. im looking

http://www.rallysport.on.ca/index.php?fuseaction=site.intro

Dunno where you are in Ontario, but there is a rallycross event Jan. 24th in Bancroft. A Google Map shows it to be about 2.5-3 hours north of Toronto. Seems like a reasonable distance to cover.

1....get it running 2.....drive it like you stole 3....drive till you get the hang of things and more money 4....then blow up the cavdaver.....

Nothing wrong with a free car. bonus being a 5-speed.

fix it, beat on it, sell it to the next unsuspecting soul

yup, fix it, rally it til it won't no more, then scrap it.

Snow tires and vicous rallycross. The answer is not Miata.

Since its free, source the larger Z24 (2.8l? 3.2l? ) and swap it in. My wife had a z24 when we were dating, and it was cranky and heavy, but it was fun to drive

artyboy619 wrote: nota wagon a 2dr coupe, i would love to rallycross, i havent come across a club in southern ontario though. im looking

You're not looking hard enough both Maple Leaf Rally Club (mlrc) and Motorsport Club of Ottawa (MCO) run rally-x series.

Where are you in S. Ont.?

Neither of those events are in Southern Ontario.

The Z24 motor for that year would be the 2.4. Definitely not worth swapping it. Good motor, big job. Do the head gasket, the rocker arm trick, 56mm throttle body, free flowing exhaust, and rallycross it if you can.

or fix and flip to fund something you have more love/lust for.

or fix and add race tires and drive it like you stole it

also makes for a good winter beater

AngryCorvair wrote: or fix and flip to fund something you have more love/lust for.

I like this idea and the rallycross idea.

LeMons racer.

I think Cavdaver would be a great car/team name. You can paint it up like a Frankenstein's monster and have a team of guys wear red-splattered doctor's coats. Or Zombies.

fix it and flog it

AngryCorvair wrote: or fix and flip to fund something you have more love/lust for.

Good idea if it were worth something, but even a real nice one isn't.

artyboy619 wrote: good evening gents, first time "poster" and aspiring autoX racer. So heres my story, l attended a autoX event in the last couple years, and i got the racing bug. i helped a buddy clean out his garage recently, after a half day of manual labour my payment was a free 1997 chevy cavalier. its a base model 2.2l 5spd manual. free cars are never perfect and this one is no exception. (head gasket and brake lines) but i want the fix it and race it. what are your opinions of the car and racing potenial. should i race it or scrap it and save for some else?

There are rally-cross and autox clubs throughout Southern Ontario. If you are in the eastern part of the province, check out the Motorsports Club of Ottawa -- they do a snowcross series, an excellent autox series, and a rallycross series.

go for it my current auto-x car is a stock 4cyl 2wd ranger with bad shocks truck tires and a 5ft cb antenna so you can't possibly look any weirder than me.